NIDA Unveils its First Consumer Publication to Explain the Science of Addiction February 22, 2007
“Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction” was unveiled last week by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The 30-page full-color booklet explains in layman's terms how science has revolutionized the understanding of drug addiction as a brain disease that affects behavior and was released in conjunction with HBO´s ADDICTION documentary. NIDA hopes this new publication will help reduce stigma against addictive disorders.
“Thanks to science, our views and our responses to drug abuse have changed dramatically, but many people today still do not understand why people become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. “This booklet aims to fill that knowledge gap by providing scientific information about the disease of drug addiction in language that is easily understandable to the public.”
The “Science of Addiction” booklet discusses the reasons people take drugs, why some people become addicted while others do not, how drugs work in the brain, and how addiction can be prevented and treated. Like diabetes, asthma or heart disease, drug addiction is a chronic disease that can be managed successfully. Treatment helps to counteract addiction's powerful disruptive effects and helps people regain control of their lives. The new booklet points out that just as with other chronic diseases, relapses can happen. The publication further explains that relapse is not a signal of treatment failure - rather, it indicates that treatment should be reinstated or adjusted to help the addict fully recover.
The new publication was unveiled at a press briefing for the upcoming HBO documentary called Addiction, to air Thursday, March 15 from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The 90-minute program, produced in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NIDA, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), is aimed at helping Americans understand addiction as a treatable brain disease, as well as spotlighting new medical advancements.
“The Science of Addiction” can be viewed and downloaded as a PDF file on NIDA’s Web site.
