New Addiction Treatments To Be Focus of National Conference in Washington

National Institute on Drug AbuseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Tuesday, April 7, 1998, Mona W. Brown, Sheryl Massaro

More than two decades of research clearly shows that drug addiction is a chronic relapsing illness that comes about because of the effects of long-term drug use on the brain. State-of-the-art approaches to treating drug addiction will be the focus of the National Conference on Drug Addiction Treatment: From Research to Practice being held April 8-9 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel(formerly Sheraton Washington), 2660 Woodley Road, N.W., Washington, D.C.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is bringing together over 800 leaders of national professional organizations, treatment practitioners and providers, criminal justice and law enforcement personnel, constituent organizations, policymakers, and the media. The meeting will allow researchers and service providers to exchange findings about what treatments work, what aspects of individual programs are transferrable to other sites, and how treatment programs can be tailored for specific populations, such as women, children, and adolescents.

General Barry McCaffrey, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, will deliver the keynote address. General McCaffrey will be part of the agenda headed by NIDA Director Dr. Alan I. Leshner, directors of national associations, and prominent researchers.

"We will present exciting, science-based data on new medications and new behavioral treatments that can be used by frontline clinicians who are facing the day-to-day realities of treating their patients' drug addictions," said Dr. Leshner.

At the conference, Dr. Leshner will release the first two in a series of treatment delivery manuals developed to help drug treatment practitioners provide the best possible care that science has to offer. The two manuals focus specifically on behavioral approaches to treating cocaine addiction.

Major topics of discussion during the 2-day conference will include the health, social, and economic benefits of drug addiction treatment, the roles of medication and behavioral treatment, and current issues in the delivery of and access to drug addiction treatment.

For more information or to arrange interviews with Dr. Leshner or other speakers, call Mona Brown or Sheryl Massaro, NIDA Press Office, at 301-443-6245. A press room onsite will be staffed throughout the conference.

This conference is an important component of NIDA's efforts to dispel myths and misunderstandings about drug addiction and its treatment. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute also carries out a variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.nida.nih.gov. Fact sheets on health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics can be ordered free of charge, in English and Spanish, by calling NIDA Infofax at 1-888-NIH-NIDA (1-888-644-6432) or 1-888-TTY-NIDA (1-888-889-6432) for the deaf.