National Institute on Drug Abuse

Coordinates: 39°02′52″N 77°06′41″W / 39.04770°N 77.11134°W / 39.04770; -77.11134
From USApedia
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Type: Research and Development Agencies (Sub-organization)
Parent organization: National Institutes of Health
Employees: 500
Executive: Director
Budget: $1.45 billion (Fiscal Year 2023)
Address: 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892 (NIH Campus)
Website: https://www.drugabuse.gov
Creation Legislation: Public Law 92-255, Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970
Wikipedia: National Institute on Drug AbuseWikipedia Logo.png
National Institute on Drug Abuse
This map created from a Cargo query (Purge)
Mission
NIDA aims to advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction, and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health through strategies for prevention, treatment, and policy.
Services

Research Funding; Clinical Trials; Addiction Prevention; Treatment Research; Public Education

Regulations
National Institute on Drug Abuse
File:US-NIH-NIDA-Logo.svg
Agency Overview
Headquarters 6001 Executive Blvd
North Bethesda, Maryland 20852
Annual budget $1.05 billion[1]
Agency Executive Nora Volkow, Director
Parent department U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Parent agency National Institutes of Health
Website
nida.nih.gov

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a United States federal government research institute whose mission is to "advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health."

The institute has conducted an in-depth study of addiction according to its biological, behavioral and social components. It has also supported many treatments such as nicotine patches and gums, and performed research into AIDS and other drug-related diseases. Its monopoly on the supply of research-grade marijuana has proved controversial.

History

NIDA's roots can be traced back to 1935, when a research facility (named the Addiction Research Center in 1948) was established in Lexington, Kentucky as part of a USPHS hospital. The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) and National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) were created in 1972. In 1974 NIDA was established as part of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration and given authority over the DAWN and NHSDA programs. The Monitoring the Future Survey, which surveys high school seniors, was initiated in 1975; in 1991, it was expanded to include 8th and 10th graders.[2]

In October 1992, NIDA became part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States Department of Health and Human Services. At that time, responsibility for the DAWN and NHSDA programs were transferred to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). NIDA is organized into divisions and offices, each of which is involved with programs of drug abuse research. Nora Volkow, MD, has been the director of NIDA since 2003.[3]

According to NIH:

The physical/psychological addiction dichotomy is reflected in the Controlled Substances Act's criteria for drug scheduling. Placement in Schedule III, for instance, requires a finding that "abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence." The view espoused by former NIDA director Alan I. Leshner, which places more emphasis on the "compulsive, uncontrollable" aspect of addictive drug use than on physical withdrawal symptoms, explains NIDA's differing treatment of morphine and cannabis. Morphine is physically addictive, and users of heroin and other opiate-derived drugs become physically and psychologically dependent on the high from the opiates, which drives them to seek the drug and perform acts they might not normally engage in (like exchanging drugs for sex acts or sharing needles with another user)[citation needed]. In contrast, marijuana is not physically addictive, though some users do become psychologically dependent on the drug.[4] Jon Gettman and other supporters of removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act have questioned the legality of basing scheduling decisions on such considerations rather than on physical addiction and physical harm; Gettman stated, "If the federal government wants to keep marijuana in schedule 1, or if they believe that placing marijuana in schedule 2 is a viable policy, then we're going to cross-examine under oath and penalty of perjury every HHS official and scientist who claims that marijuana use is as dangerous as the use of cocaine or heroin."[5] NIDA's viewpoint is supported by the fact that the CSA lists not only physical addictiveness but also "history and current pattern of abuse" and "scope, duration, and significance of abuse" among the factors to be considered in drug scheduling. Indeed, cannabis' retention in Schedule I has been partly due to findings in these areas by FDA, SAMHSA, and NIDA. The January 17, 2001 document Basis for the Recommendation for Maintaining Marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act specifically cites SAMHSA's National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, NIDA's Monitoring the Future survey, SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network, and NIDA's Community Epidemiology Work Group data.[6][7]

NIDA has supported many treatments for drug addiction. NIDA-supported studies led to the use of nicotine patches and gums for nicotine addiction treatment.[8] NIDA scientists also developed LAAM, which is used for heroin addiction treatment.[9] Other treatments that were the subject of NIDA research include naltrexone and buprenorphine.[10] NIDA states, "By conservative estimates, every $1 spent on drug addiction saves society $4 to $7 in criminal justice and health care costs",[11] which points to the need for spending funds on effective prevention and treatment programs based on evidence, rather than criminal sanctions that do not impact drug use.

NIDA has also conducted research into diseases associated with drug use, such as AIDS and Hepatitis. NIDA views drug treatment as a means of modifying risky behavior such as unprotected sex and sharing needles. NIDA has also funded studies dealing with harm reduction. A NIDA-supported study on pregnant drug users noted, "professionals in research and treatment must learn to settle for less because insisting on total abstinence may exacerbate the problem." This study was conducted by Marsha Rosenbaum of the Lindesmith Center, an organization that has been critical of federal drug policies.

In the 1990s, NIDA funded research by John W. Huffman that was focused on making a drug to target endocannabinoid receptors in the body; this resulted in the discovery of a variety of substances that are now being sold as Spice, K2, etc.[12]

In 2006, NIDA received an annual budget of $1.01 billion.[13] The U.S. government says NIDA funds more than 85 percent of the world's research about the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction.[14]

Past directors

Past directors from 1973 – present[15]

Portrait Director Took office Left office
File:Noimage.svg Robert DuPont 1973 1978
File:William Pollin.jpg William Pollin 1979 1985
File:Noimage.svg Charles R. Schuster 1986 1992
File:Noimage.svg Richard A. Millstein (acting) 1992 1994
File:Alan I. Leshner.gif Alan I. Leshner 1994 2001
File:Glen R Hanson.webp
 Glen R. Hanson (acting) 2001 2003
File:Nora-Volkow-2013.jpg Nora Volkow April 15, 2003 Present

Publications

File:National Institute on Drug Abuse poster.gif
A NIDA educational pamphlet

NIDA Notes is a bimonthly newsletter that has been published since 1985. Its scope covers drug abuse research in the areas of treatment and prevention, epidemiology, neuroscience, behavioral science, health services, and AIDS.[16] NIDA-supported studies are also published in other journals.[17] NIDA publishes educational materials as well which aim to provide pertinent facts to teenagers who will be making drug use decisions and to parents. This literature has sometimes been used by legalization advocates to advance their points, an example being NIDA's admittal that "many young people who use marijuana do not go on to use other drugs."[18][19]

Controversial research

Drug abuse, in addition to being an area of scientific research, is also a major subject of public policy debate. Accordingly, elected officials have sometimes attempted to shape the debate by introducing legislation in reference to NIDA research. In 2004, Congressman Mark Souder introduced the Safe and Effective Drug Act, calling for a "meta-analysis of existing medical marijuana data." It was criticized for being limited to smoked cannabis (rather than vaporizers and other methods of ingestion) and not requiring any new research.[20] In some cases, NIDA has held its ground when its more moderate stances were questioned by legislators favoring a hard-line approach. On April 27, 2004, Souder sent NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni a letter criticizing needle exchange programs for causing increases in infection rates.[21] The Harm Reduction Coalition responded with its concerns, and NIDA Director Nora Volkow wrote a letter stating:

DAWN, or the Drug Abuse Warning Network, is a program to collect statistics on the frequency of emergency department mentions of use of different types of drugs. This information is widely cited by drug policy officials, who have sometimes confused drug-related episodes—emergency department visits induced by drugs—with drug mentions. The Wisconsin Department of Justice claimed, "In Wisconsin, marijuana overdose visits in emergency rooms equal to heroin or morphine [sic], twice as common as Valium." Common Sense for Drug Policy called this as a distortion, noting, "The federal DAWN report itself notes that reports of marijuana do not mean people are going to the hospital for a marijuana overdose, it only means that people going to the hospital for a drug overdose mention marijuana as a drug they use."[22]

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health is an annual study of American drug use patterns. According to NIDA, "The data collection method is in–person interviews conducted with a sample of individuals at their place of residence. ACASI provides a highly private and confidential means of responding to questions to increase the level of honest reporting of illicit drug use and other sensitive behavior." Sixty-eight thousand people were interviewed in 2003, with a weighted response rate for interviewing of 73 percent.[23] Like DAWN, the Survey often draws criticism because of how the data is used by drug policy officials. Rob Kampia of Marijuana Policy Project stated in a September 5, 2002 press release,[24]

NIDA literature and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) research frequently contradict each other. For instance, in the 1980s and 1990s, NIMH researchers found that dopamine plays only a marginal role in marijuana's psychoactive effects.[25] Years later, however, NIDA educational materials continued to warn of the danger of dopamine-related marijuana addiction.[26] NIDA appears to be backing off of these dopamine claims, adding disclaimers to its teaching packets that the interaction of THC with the reward system is not fully understood.[27]

The NIDA also funded the research of John W. Huffman who first synthesized many novel cannabinoids. This compounds are now being sold all around the world as pure compounds or mixed with herbals known as spices. The fact that NIDA has allowed and paid for the synthesis of these new cannabinoids without recommending human consumption research is a topic of concern, especially since some of these JWH substances were recently put into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act via emergency legislation.[28]

Medical marijuana monopoly

NIDA has inside the US a government granted monopoly on the production of medical marijuana for research purposes. In the past, the institute has refused to supply marijuana to researchers who had obtained all other necessary federal permits. Medical marijuana researchers and activists claim that NIDA, which is not supposed to be a regulatory organization, does not have the authority to effectively regulate who does and does not get to do research with medical marijuana. Jag Davies of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) writes in MAPS Bulletin:[29]

NIDA administers a contract with the University of Mississippi to grow the nation's only legal cannabis crop for medical and research purposes,[30] including the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program. A Fast Company article pointed out, "Based on the photographic evidence, NIDA's concoction of seeds, stems, and leaves more closely resembles dried cat brier than cannabis".[31] An article in Mother Jones describes their crop as "brown, stems-and-seeds-laden, low-potency pot—what's known on the streets as 'schwag'".[32] United States federal law currently registers cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Medical marijuana researchers typically prefer to use high-potency marijuana, but NIDA's National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse has been reluctant to provide cannabis with high THC levels, citing safety concerns:[30]

Speaking before the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse, Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project criticized NIDA for refusing to provide researcher Donald Abrams with marijuana for his studies, stating that "after nine months of delay, Leshner rejected Abrams' request for marijuana, on what we believe are political grounds that the FDA-approved protocol is inadequate."[33]

In May 2006, the Boston Globe reported that:[34]

Then again, it's not in NIDA's job description-or even, perhaps, in NIDA's interests-to grow a world-class marijuana crop. The institute's director, Nora Volkow, has stressed that it's "not NIDA's mission to study the medicinal use of marijuana or to advocate for the establishment of facilities to support this research." Since NIDA's stated mission "is to lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction,"[35] federally supported marijuana research will logically tilt toward the potential harms, not benefits, of cannabis.

Ricaurte's monkeys

For more details on this topic, see Retracted article on neurotoxicity of ecstasy.

NIDA has drawn criticism for continuing to provide funding to George Ricaurte, who in 2002 conducted a study that was widely touted as proving that MDMA (ecstasy) caused dopaminergic neurotoxicity in monkeys.[36] His paper "Severe Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in Primates After a Common Recreational Dose Regimen of MDMA ('Ecstasy')" in Science[37] was later retracted after it became clear that the monkeys had in fact been injected not with MDMA, but with extremely high doses of methamphetamine.[38] A FOIA request was subsequently filed by MAPS to find out more about the research and NIDA's involvement in it.[39][40]

Alan Leshner, publisher of Science and former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), has come under fire for endorsing the botched study at its time of publication... Leshner did help NIDA bring home the bacon: NIDA's budget for Ecstasy research has more than quadrupled over the past five years, from $3.4 million to $15.8 million; the agency funds 85 percent of the world's drug-abuse research. In 2001, Leshner testified before a Senate subcommittee on "Ecstasy Abuse and Control"; critics say Leshner manipulated brain scans from a 2000 study by Dr. Linda Chang showing no difference between Ecstasy users and control subjects. But NIDA insists it is independent from political pressures. "We don't set policy; we don't create laws," says Beverly Jackson, the agency's spokesperson.

— Village Voice 2004

Effectiveness of anti-marijuana ad campaigns

File:Cjcard.gif
Treatment Art Card.
Further information: Cannabis advertising#Anti-cannabis advertising

In February 2005, Westat, a research company hired by NIDA and funded by The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, reported on its five-year study of the government ad campaigns aimed at dissuading teens from using marijuana, campaigns that cost more than $1 billion between 1998 and 2004. The study found that the ads did not work: "greater exposure to the campaign was associated with weaker anti-drug norms and increases in the perceptions that others use marijuana." NIDA leaders and the White House drug office did not release the Westat report for a year and a half. NIDA dated Westat's report as "delivered" in June 2006. In fact, it was delivered in February 2005, according to the Government Accountability Office, the federal watchdog agency charged with reviewing the study.[41]

Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigations of NIDA commercial partnerships

On the 26 October 2011, the OIG published its results from an audit of a contract between the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Charles River Laboratories, Inc., which read in part:[42]

Template:Quote box

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NIH — Office of Budget — The National Fiscal Year 2012". http://officeofbudget.od.nih.gov/xls/fy2012/FY%202012%20Funding%20Levels%20by%20IC.xlsx. 
  2. ↑ "Important Events in NIDA History – The Organization – NIH 1998 Almanac". Nih.gov. http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/archive/1999/organization/nida/history.html. 
  3. ↑ Dooren, Jennifer Corbett (2012-12-20). "Teen Smoking Keeps Falling". The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324731304578189750379450228. 
  4. ↑ "The Essence of Drug Addiction". drugabuse.gov. http://www.drugabuse.gov/Published_Articles/Essence.html. 
  5. ↑ Gettman, Jon (2008-04-03). "Science and the End of Marijuana Prohibition". http://www.millionmarijuanamarch.com/mmm1_047.htm. 
  6. ↑ "Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine". Fda.gov. https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm108643.htm. 
  7. ↑ "Federal Register, Volume 66 Issue 75". Frwebgate.access.gpo.gov. 2001-04-18. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&docid=01-9306-filed. 
  8. ↑ "Nicotine Patch Helps Smokeless Tobacco Users Quit, But Maintaining Abstinence May Require Additional Treatment". drugabuse.gov. March 2001. http://www.drugabuse.gov/nida_notes/NNVol16N1/Nicotine.html. 
  9. ↑ "NIH Press Release – Medication for Treating Heroin – 06/24/1997". Nih.gov. 1997-06-24. http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun97/nida-24.htm. 
  10. ↑ "What are the treatments for drug abuse in teens?". 2023-06-13. https://diamondrehabthailand.com/ways-to-prevent-drug-abuse/#%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8BWhat_are_the_treatments_for_drug_abuse_in_teens. 
  11. ↑ Anderson, David (August 24, 2007). "NIDA at 25: Looking Back and Ahead". http://www.nih.gov/news/NIH-Record/08_24_99/story02.htm. 
  12. ↑ "K2 Giving People Another Dangerous Way to Get High". https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Drugs/marijuana-substitute-spice-hitting-streets-putting-kids-hospital/story?id=10118951. 
  13. ↑ "Home Page". National Institutes of Health Office of Budget. http://officeofbudget.od.nih.gov/ui/HomePage.htm. 
  14. ↑ "2001 NIDA News Release, Scientific Conference Focuses On Ecstasy (MDMA)". Drugabuse.gov. 2001-07-19. http://www.drugabuse.gov/MedAdv/01/NR7-19.html. 
  15. ↑ "NIDA Directors". 9 July 2015. https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-almanac/national-institute-drug-abuse-nida. 
  16. ↑ "NIDA Notes | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)". drugabuse.gov. http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_notes/NNInfo2.html. 
  17. ↑ "Tracing NET | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)". drugabuse.gov. 2007-10-01. http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol21N4/RIB.html#Controlling. 
  18. ↑ "Weeding Through the Hype: The Truth About Adolescent Marijuana Use". Marijuanalibrary.org. http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/OB_adolescent_use_0696.html. 
  19. ↑ "Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)". Drugabuse.gov. http://www.drugabuse.gov/MarijBroch/Marijparentstxt.html#Lead. 
  20. ↑ "Medical marijuana in Congress, again". Cannabis Culture. http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4334.html. 
  21. ↑ "Drug Policy Alliance: Souder to NIH: Harm Reduction Causes Harm". 2008-01-02. http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/05_06_04souder.cfm. 
  22. ↑ "Distortion 6: Emergency Room Visits". Common Sense for Drug Policy. http://www.drugwardistortions.org/distortion6.htm. 
  23. ↑ "The NSDUH Report". The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). February 7, 2003. http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k3/NSDUH/nsduh.htm. 
  24. ↑ "MPP Responds to Release of 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse". Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). September 5, 2002. http://www.mpp.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=glKZLeMQIsG&b=1173735&ct=1973329. 
  25. ↑ Jon Gettman (July 11, 1997). "Dopamine and the Dependence Liability of Marijuana". Ukcia.org. http://www.ukcia.org/research/gettman.htm. 
  26. ↑ "Drug Facts". 20 November 2012. http://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts. 
  27. ↑ "The Brain & the Actions of Cocaine, Opiates, and Marijuana | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)". drugabuse.gov. http://www.drugabuse.gov/pubs/teaching/Teaching5.html. 
  28. ↑ "News from DEA, Domestic Field Divisions, Washington DC News Releases, 03/01/11". Justice.gov. 2011-03-01. https://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr030111.html. 
  29. ↑ "MAPS Bulletin Volume XVI Number 3: Winter 2006-7". Maps.org. http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v16n3-html/marijuana_production_facility.html. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "About NIDA – Organization – NACDA – Provision of Marijuana and Other Compounds For Scientific Research – Recommendations of The National Institute on Drug Abuse National Advisory Council". drugabuse.gov. http://www.drugabuse.gov/about/organization/nacda/marijuanastatement.html. 
  31. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2088: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  32. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2088: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  33. ↑ Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine[dead link]
  34. ↑ Jessica Winter (May 28, 2006). "Weed control; Research on the medicinal benefits of marijuana may depend on good gardening – and some say Uncle Sam, the country's only legal grower of the cannabis plant, isn't much of a green thumb". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/05/28/weed_control/?page=full. 
  35. ↑ "About NIDA". National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://www.drugabuse.gov/About/AboutNIDA.html. 
  36. ↑ "Major Error in Ecstasy Research : Ricaurte's Team Accidentally Gave Monkeys Methamphetamine instead of MDMA". Erowid.org. http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_research2.shtml. 
  37. ↑ Ricaurte, George; Yuan, J; Hatzidimitriou, G; Cord, BJ; McCann, UD (2002). "Severe Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in Primates After a Common Recreational Dose Regimen of MDMA ('Ecstasy')". Science 297 (5590): 2260–2263. Bibcode 2002Sci...297.2260R. doi:10.1126/science.1074501. PMID 12351788. http://www.erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?ID=1435. Template:Retracted
  38. ↑ Earth Erowid (September 27, 2002). "A Review of a Recent Claim Of Parkinson's from "Recreational" MDMA Use". erowid.org. http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/references/journal/2002_ricaurte_science_1/2002_ricaurte_science_1_review.shtml. 
  39. ↑ "NIDA and NCRR Funding for Ricaurte and McCann 1989–2002". Drugpolicy.org. http://www.drugpolicy.org/docUploads/ricaurtefunding.pdf. 
  40. ↑ Rick Doblin; MAPS President. "Comments on MDMA Neurotoxicity Research in Primates: Dr. Ricaurte's July 15, 2003 Progress Report to the National Institute on Drug Abuse". MAPS. http://www.maps.org/mdma/retraction/foia012804/index.html. 
  41. ↑ Grim, Ryan (2006-09-07). "A White House drug deal gone bad". Slate.com. http://www.slate.com/id/2148999/. 
  42. ↑ "Appropriations Funding for National Institute on Drug Abuse Contract HHSN271-2007-00009C with Charles River Laboratories, Inc. (A-03-10-03104)". October 2011. http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region3/31003104.pdf. 

External links

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