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NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative

The HEALing Communities Study: Using Science to Address the Opioid Crisis

September 19, 2018
The public health emergency of opioid misuse and addiction affects millions of Americans and requires innovative scientific solutions. Today, during “National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Awareness Week,” we are sharing news of an important step towards these solutions through the HEALing Communities Study. Read More.

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Recent Posts

Graph showing increased use of drugs in most categories by American Indian/Alaskan Native students - see text

Substance Use in American Indian Youth is Worse than We Thought

September 2014
We have long known that American Indian communities are particularly vulnerable to problems with substance use, which are tied in part to limited socioeconomic opportunity. But because national surveys fail to fully capture drug use patterns on or near reservations, the true scope of the problem has been elusive. Read More.

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Marijuana leaf

Science Should Guide Marijuana Policy

August 2014
In a series of recent articles, The New York Times’ editors presented a case for repealing the federal ban on marijuana, including the disproportionate impact of current marijuana laws on minorities. While there is no question that we should rectify any injustices associated with such policies, we also need to consider and prepare for the escalation in social and health costs that could result from creating a third legal drug in this country. We should be thoughtfully examining all policy and regulatory options available to minimize harms to society and promote Americans’ safety, well-being, and competitiveness Read More.

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Photo of a group of teens

Seeking Input from the Research Community on the Upcoming Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Substance Use

July 2014
As we wrote in early May, the time is ripe for a large prospective cohort study that will comprehensively assess the effects of adolescent substance use on the developing brain. Read More.

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National AIDS Testing day logo

National HIV Testing Day, June 27, 2014

June 2014
Almost 1.1 million Americans are currently living with the HIV virus, and nearly a sixth of those don’t even know they are infected. That means they aren’t getting needed treatment, and it means they could be passing the infection on to others without knowing. Read More.

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Trends in overdose deaths 1999-2011, of significance from 2006 to 2011, opiod deaths up 28%, cocaine deaths down 35%, heroin deaths up 119%

What Can We Do About the Heroin Overdose Epidemic?

June 2014
A striking new dimension of our nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic is the escalating number of deaths from heroin overdose. Read More.

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The Leaky Pipeline! Career Level Disparities in Neuroscience Programs for URMS

Increasing Diversity in Research

June 2014
Diversity enriches any workforce, and that is especially true of science. People with different backgrounds and experiences may think in different ways, produce different ideas and insights, and approach scientific questions from different angles. Read More.

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Photo of a group of teens

National Longitudinal Study of the Neurodevelopmental Consequences of Substance Use

May 2014
A major new longitudinal study aims to examine the effects of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs on the developing brain. Read More.

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RX Drug Abuse Summit logo

National RX Drug Abuse Summit

April 2014
The Summit brings together people on all sides of the problem, including representatives from government agencies, law enforcement, and the treatment world. Read More.

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Commission on Narcotic Drugs 2014

UNODC Recommends Treating Addiction as Health, Not Legal, Issue

March 2014
Earlier this month I went to Vienna for the 57th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), part of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). There I chaired a working group that presented a set of recommendations to the CND concerning the most appropriate, scientifically informed way to approach the problem of substance use disorders: as a medical, not a legal, issue. Read More.

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Naloxone as packaged in a box for distribution

Naloxone—A Potential Lifesaver

March 2014
Naloxone can reverse or block the effects of other opioids. It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of abusing heroin or prescription opioids, or accidentally ingesting too much pain medication Read More.

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Dr. Nora Volkow: Remarks and Video Highlights

APA 2015 meeting

About This Blog

Dr. Nora Volkow

Here I highlight important work being done at NIDA and other news related to the science of drug abuse and addiction.
—Dr. Nora Volkow, Director

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