Psychiatrists Focus on Latest Drug Addiction Research at Annual Meeting in Toronto June 1 - Media Briefing Scheduled

Advances in science are revolutionizing understanding of drug abuse and addiction. Addiction is increasingly understood to be a medical disorder with a critical central role for psychiatrists in its treatment. Consequently, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has teamed up with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, for its first-ever special track on drug addiction and the brain during the APA annual meeting in Toronto from June 1 through 5.

Dr. Alan I. Leshner, NIDA Director, will host a media briefing to discuss the latest scientific advances that have contributed to our understanding of drug abuse as a preventable behavior and drug addiction as a treatable disease. He will highlight important research that will be presented in the special drug addiction program track, Drug Addiction - A Treatable Disease.

The meeting offers a great opportunity for both psychiatrists and the general public to understand and respond to the challenges of drug addiction. The research-based drug addiction track is a unique collaboration between the APA and NIDA and is the first of its kind. The special program highlights over 70 presentations focusing on more than two decades of drug addiction research. Sessions include presentations on: drug addiction and the brain, risk and vulnerability to drug abuse, effects of perinatal exposure to drugs, effectiveness of new approaches to treating drug addiction, HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, and special issues including comorbidity, homelessness, women, youth, and families at risk.

WHAT:

Media Briefing

Dr. Alan I. Leshner Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse

WHEN:Monday, June 1, 1998 - 8:30a.m. WHERE:Press Room, Toronto Convention Center NIDA CONTACT:Beverly Jackson (416) 585-3600 (in Toronto) (301) 443-6245 (in Maryland)