NIDA Experts to Discuss Prescription Drug Abuse, New Treatment Medications, and Relapse Prevention at APA Convention in Chicago

Among this year's program highlights is an invited address by the Acting Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Dr. Glen R. Hanson.

Dr. Hanson, an internationally recognized expert on psychostimulants, will speak on Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction: What Can Psychologists Do? His talk will focus on the critical role of psychology and behavioral science in understanding various aspects of drug abuse and addiction. Dr. Hanson will discuss recent research advances, and their implications for prevention and treatment. His address will take place on Thursday, August 22, starting at 10:00 a.m. in McCormick Place �� Lakeside Center-Level 3, Meeting Room E350.

Several symposia targeting various aspects of substance abuse are also featured on this year's APA program.

On Friday, August 23, breaking research developments related to Developing Medications to Treat Stimulant Dependence will be discussed. Several new drugs for treating cocaine dependence and a contingency management approach to treating methamphetamine dependence are among the topics to be presented. Dr. Frank Vocci, Director of NIDA's Division of Treatment Research and Development, will serve as discussant for this symposium. The session will start at 9 a.m. on Friday in McCormick Place �� South Building-Level 4, Meeting Room S403a.

A symposium, Prescription Opioid Abuse �� The Problem As Seen from Different Perspectives, co-chaired by NIDA's Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington will also be held on Friday morning. This symposium will include presentations on the epidemiology of prescription opioid abuse and a discussion of the impact of opioid abuse on legitimate use, including stigmatization, "opiophobia", and undermedication. Dr. David Thomas from NIDA's Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research will serve as discussant. The symposium will be held in McCormick Place-Lakeside Center-Level 3, Meeting Room E350 starting at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 23.

Dr. David Shurtleff, from NIDA's Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, and Dr. Lisa Onken, from NIDA's Division of Treatment Research and Development, will co-chair a symposium on Drug Abuse Relapse �� Behavioral and Neurobiological Perspectives. The session will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 25in McCormick Place �� Lakeside Center-Level 2, Meeting Room E258.

Other substance abuse-related symposia on the program include sessions on New Interventions for Marijuana Abuse in Adults and Adolescents, Integrating Research-Developed Interventions into Addiction Treatment, Community-Based Approaches to Substance Abuse Treatment, ADHD �� Impact on Emotional IQ, Learning Problems, and Substance Abuse, New Directions in Research on Substance Abuse and Sexual Minorities, Persistent Effects of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, and Substance Abuse in Special Populations �� Do We Have a Problem?

The press is invited to attend. For more information, visit the APA convention press room in McCormick Place �� North Building-Level, Room NI36. For interviews with NIDA participants, call Michelle Person or Blair Gately at 301-443-6245.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge in English and Spanish through NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (644-6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (889-6432) for the deaf. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov.