SPOTLIGHT ON BY ADINA YOUNG
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) I
ts mission is to lead the nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. Te
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which joined NIH in 1992, does this through strategic support and by providing up-to-the-moment research results for use in Congressional hearings related to drug abuse and addiction. NIDA’s research, like its annual Monitor-
ing the Future Survey measuring prevalence and trends of non-medical drug use and related atitudes of high school students, can serve as a valuable resource for DATIA members. DrugFacts, formerly known as InfoFacts,
is a section of the NIDA website (www.
drugabuse.gov) that presents scientific facts about drug abuse and addiction. Te website also asks the question, “Is mari- juana medicine?” where it explains what marijuana does to the body, why it isn’t FDA-approved, and the difference between medical and “street” marijuana. A hot topic within the drug and alcohol
testing industry is drug testing in schools. NIDA has a “Frequently Asked Questions About Drug Testing in Schools” section to address this interest. Some of the questions of “Why test teenagers at all?” and “What testing methods are available?”, are answered in useful section of the website. Te NIDA website also offers a list of
the most commonly abused drugs. With that list comes an overview of each drug, its street and clinical names, the effects of the drug on the brain and body, statistics and trends, and relevant publications and articles writen by NIDA researchers and scientists. Te list also comes in easy-to- read charts for quick talking points. Tose interested also have the option to
receive free updates on NIDA’s news and analysis of research in its bi-monthly NIDA
www.datia.org datia focus 27
Notes at htp://
www.drugabuse.gov/news- events/nida-notes. NIDA also offers information for the
public on drug testing including: certifica- tion of drug testing laboratories, informa- tion on drug testing in schools and issues involved with decisions to conduct drug testing, and other government resources. In addition, there is a section dedicated to workplace issues with drug testing with information coming from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. For more information on NIDA, you can visit
www.drugabuse.gov. ❚
A hot topic within the drug and alcohol testing industry is drug testing in schools. NIDA has a “Frequently Asked Questions About Drug Testing in Schools” section to address this interest.
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