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Advancing Addiction Science and Practical Solutions

Leading the Search for Scientific Solutions

To address all aspects of drug abuse and its harmful consequences, NIDA’s research program ranges from basic studies of the addicted brain and behavior to health services research. NIDA’s research program develops prevention and treatment approaches and ensures they work in real-world settings. In this context, NIDA is strongly committed to developing a research portfolio that addresses the special vulnerabilities and health disparities that exist among ethnic minorities or that derive from gender differences.

Bringing Science to Real-World Settings
  • Clinical Trials Network (CTN)
    CTN “road tests” research-based drug abuse treatments in community treatment programs around the country.
  • Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS)
    Led by NIDA, CJ-DATS is a network of research centers, in partnership with criminal justice professionals, drug abuse treatment providers, and Federal agencies responsible for developing integrated treatment approaches for criminal justice offenders and testing them at multiple sites throughout the Nation.
  • Juvenile Justice Translational Research on Interventions in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS)
    JJ-TRIALS is a seven-site cooperative research program designed to identify and test strategies for improving the delivery of evidence-based substance abuse and HIV prevention and treatment services for justice-involved youth.
Sharing Free Information With the Public

NIDA further increases the impact of its research on the problems of addiction by sharing free information about its findings with professional audiences and the general public. Special initiatives target students and teachers as well as designated populations and ethnic groups.

NIDA’s Special Initiatives for Students, Teachers, and Parents

Heads Up: Real News About Drugs and Your Body—A drug education series created by NIDA and SCHOLASTIC INC. for students in grades 6 to 12.
www.headsup.scholastic.com   

NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse—An interactive Web site geared specifically to teens, with age-appropriate facts on drugs.
www.teens.drugabuse.gov 

Drug Facts Chat Day—A Web chat between NIDA scientists and teens, held through school computer labs once a year during National Drug Facts Week (below).
www.drugabuse.gov/chat 

National Drug Facts Week—A week-long observance that encourages community-based events and dialogue between teens and scientists during National Drug Facts Week (below).
www.drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/ 

Special Initiative for Clinicians

NIDAMED—Tools and resources to increase awareness of the impact of substance use on patients' overall health and help clinicians and those in training identify patient drug use early and prevent it from escalating to abuse or addiction.

Publications on Prevention and Treatment Principles

Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for preventing drug abuse among children and adolescents provides 16 principles derived from effective drug-prevention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as well as on community planning and implementation.

Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide—This guide summarizes the 13 principles of effective treatment, answers common questions, and describes types of treatment, providing examples of scientifically based and tested treatment components.

Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research-Based Guide—This guide discusses the urgency of treating addictions and other substance use disorders in teenagers, answers common questions about how young people are treated for drug problems, and describes effective treatment approaches supported by scientific evidence.

Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research-Based Guide—NIDA’s research-based guide for treating people with addiction who are involved with the criminal justice system provides 13 essential treatment principles, and includes answers to frequently asked questions and resource information.

For more information: All NIDA publications are available at www.drugabuse.gov. Some publications are also available in print, free of charge. To order print copies call the DRUGPubs Research Dissemination Center at 1–877–NIH–NIDA or go to www.drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. Watch NIDA videos (NIDA TV) at: www.drugabuse.gov/nida-tv 

 

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