• the neurobiological, behavioral, and social mechanisms underlying drug abuse and addiction

• specific biomedical and behavioral effects of drugs of abuse, including marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, on the body and brain

• effective prevention and treatment approaches, including a broad research program designed to develop new treatment medications and behavioral therapies for drug abuse

• the causes and consequences of drug abuse, including impact on society and morbidity and mortality in selected populations, e.g., ethnic minorities, youth, women

• investigation of the relationship of drug use to other problem behaviors, e.g., psychopathology, unemployment, violence

• biomedical, behavioral, and social factors associated with vulnerability/invulnerability to drug abuse and addiction

• the role of drug abuse as a factor contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other diseases and the development of effective prevention/intervention strategies

• research on the mechanisms of pain and the search for a nonaddictive analgesic

• research on tobacco and nicotine addiction.

NIDA’s intramural research program is located in Baltimore, Md. Originally known as the Addiction Research Center, it conducts multidisciplinary research on basic biological and behavioral mechanisms that underly drug abuse and dependence, including its causes and adverse consequences. Research is also supported on treatments for drug dependence and HIV transmission by injecting drug users. Studies range from molecular to laboratory research with animals to clinical studies with human volunteers. The program employs the latest technology, including positron emission tomography to study the action of drugs in the human brain and transgenic species to better understand the role genes in drug abuse. The intramural program also serves as a national and international training center for young investigators in the drug abuse field.

1972--Drug Abuse Warning Network and National Household Survey on Drug Abuse were initiated under the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention.

1974-- NIDA was established as part of ADAMHA, as the lead Federal agency for conducting basic, clinical, and epidemiological research to improve the understanding, treatment, and prevention of drug abuse and addiction and the health consequences of these behaviors. NIDA was mandated to carry on the work of the Drug Abuse Warning Network, and National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The Addiction Research Center in Lexington, Ky., became NIDA's intramural research program.

National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Unit Survey begins, to identify the location, scope and characteristics of public and private drug prevention and treatment programs.

1975-- The Monitoring the Future Survey, also known as the High School Senior Survey, was initiated to measure prevalence and trends of nonmedical drug use and related attitudes of high school seniors and young adults.

NIDA began its “Research Monograph Series,” which is its primary vehicle for disseminating the newest scientific information in the drug abuse field. Each monograph contains scientific papers that discuss a variety of subjects including drug abuse treatment and prevention research.

1976-- NIDA begins the Community Epidem-iology Work Group, made up of state and local representatives meeting semiannually with NIDA staff to assess recent drug abuse trends and to identify populations at risk.

1979-- The clinical research program moves from Lexington, Ky., to the campus of the Francis Scott Key Medical Center (later Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center) in Baltimore, Md. The basic science program follows in 1985.

NIDA sponsors the Treatment Outcome Prospective Study (TOPS), which continued through 1987 to evaluate the overall effectiveness of treatment and to identify certain factors as important determinants of drug abuse treatment success, such as length of time in treatment.

1984-- NIDA funds an evaluation of the Midwestern Prevention Project, a comprehensive program involving schools, parents, media, community, and policy makers in drug prevention and education.

1985-- NIDA publishes the first issue of its bimonthly newsletter, NIDA Notes.

1986-- NIDA’s Drug Abuse Information and Treatment Referral Hotline is initiated, 1-800-662-HELP.

NIDA becomes the lead agency to carry out the Drug Free Federal Workplace Program, as mandated by presidential order.

1987-- NIDA initiates the National AIDS Demonstration Research projects to study and change the high-risk behaviors of injection drug users not enrolled in drug treatment and their sex partners.

1990-- NIDA established the Medications Development Division, focusing on developing new medications for enhancing options and effectiveness of drug abuse treatment.

1991-- The Monitoring the Future Survey, also called the High School Senior Survey, is expanded to include 8th and 10th graders. NIDA begins data collection for the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (the successor to TOPS) to assess the effectiveness of treatment in reducing drug abuse and to identify predictors of drug abuse treatment success.

NIDA holds its first research technology transfer conference in Washington, D.C.: “National Conference on Drug Abuse Research and Practice: An Alliance for the 21st Century.”

1992-- NIDA is transferred to NIH from ADAMHA, which is reorganized.

1993-- NIDA holds its second research technology transfer conference in Washington, D.C. second national conference on Drug Abuse Research and Practice: An Alliance for the 21st Century.

The institute obtained FDA approval for LAAM, the first medication approved in a decade for the treatment of opioid addiction.1995--

NIDA designated the development of a cocaine treatment medication as one of its top priorities.

The institute held the first "National Conference on Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment, and Research" in Arlington, Va.

1995-- NIDA designated the development of a cocaine treatment medication as one of its top priorities.

The institute held the first “National Conference on Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment, and Research” in Arlington, Va.

1970-- P.L. 91-513, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, replaced the PHS act's definition of “narcotic addict” with a definition of “drug dependent person” to authorize treatment for both narcotic addicts and other persons with drug abuse problems.

1972-- P.L. 92-255, the Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act, created a Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention (SOADAP) and authorized a separate organizational entity--NIDA--within the Department to become operational in 1974. In cooperation with other Federal agencies, especially NIMH’s Division of Narcotic Addiction and Drug Abuse, SAODAP established a national network of multi-modality drug abuse treatment programs.

1974-- P.L. 93-282, created ADAMHA which was charged with supervising the functions of NIMH, NIDA, and NIAAA.

Programs and responsibilities of DNADA and SAODAP were moved to NIDA.

1979-- P.L. 96-181, the Drug Abuse Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Treatment Act, mandated that at least 7 percent in FY 1980 and 10 percent in FY 1881 of NIDA’s Community Programs budget be spent on prevention.

1982-- P.L. 97-35, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, combined NIDA’s community programs project grants and contracts and formula grants within an ADM block grant giving more control of treatment and prevention services to the states.

1986-- P.L. 100-690, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, increased the block grant, created a substance abuse treatment enhancement to the block grant, and provided increased funds for AIDS research.

Executive Order 12564 called for the implementation of a drug-free workplace. As a result of this action, NIDA created the Office of Workplace Initiatives.

1987-- P.L. 100-71, Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1987, required DHHS (NIDA) to publish guidelines in the Federal Register for Federal drug testing.

1988-- P.L. 100-690, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, established the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) authorized funds for Federal, state and local law enforcement school-based drug prevention efforts and drug abuse treatment with special emphasis on injecting drug abusers at high risk for AIDS.

1988 and 1990-- P.L. 101-166 and P.L. 101-517, the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Eduation Appropriations Act for FY 1990 and 1991, contained identical prohibitions precluding the use of funds provided under these enactments to carry out any program of distributing sterile needles.

1992-- P.L. 102-321, the ADAMHA Reorganization Act, transferred NIDA to NIH, earmarks 15 percent of the institute's research appropriation for health services research, establishes a Medication Development Program within NIDA, provides authority to designate Drug Abuse Research Centers for the purpose of interdisciplinary research relating to drug abuse and other biomedical, behavioral, and social issues related to drug abuse, and creates an Office on AIDS at NIDA

P.L. 102-394, the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Education FY 1993 Appropriations Act, provided that $2 million to carry out section 706 of P.L. 102-321, which required the DHHS Secretary, acting through the director, NIDA, to request that the NAS study U.S. programs that provide both sterile hypodermic needles and bleach. The act also prohibited the use of appropriated funds for any sterile needle distribution program.

1993-- P.L. 103-112, the Labor/HHS and Education FY 1994 Appropriations Act, prohibited the use of funds under the act for 1) any further implementation of section 706 of P.L. 102-321, which required the NAS to study U.S. programs that provide both sterile hypodermic needles and bleach, and 2) any program for distributing sterile needles.

P.L. 103-43, the NIH Revitilization Act of 1993, required NIDA to conduct a study on the relationship between the consumption of legal and illegal drugs.

1994 and 1995--P.L. 103-333, the Departments of Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act for FY 1995 and P.L. 104-134, the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act for FY 1996, each prohibited use of any funds provided in the enactments to carry out any program of distributing sterile needles.

Dr. Leshner received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Franklin and Marshall College, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physiological psychology from Rutgers University.

From 1988 to 1994, he was deputy director of NIMH. He also served as acting director of the institute from 1990 to 1992.

Dr. Leshner spent 10 years at Bucknell University where he was professor of psychology. While on the Bucknell faculty, he also held long-term visiting appointments at the Postgraduate Medical School in Budapest, Hungary, at the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center of the University of Wisconsin, and as a Fulbright scholar at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. From Bucknell, he went to the NSF, where he held a variety of positions. Most recently, he was director of the office of science and technology centers development, responsible for a foundation-wide program to develop and support major research centers around the country across all fields of science and technology. Before assuming that position in 1987, he had been deputy to the NSF assistant director for biological, behavioral and social sciences since 1985.

Dr. Leshner served in numerous other positions since joining the NSF staff in 1979, including overseeing the National Science Board Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, one of the two national commissions of the early 1980’s that brought renewed attention to the Nation's severe problems in elementary and secondary education.

His research has focused on the biological bases of behavior. His laboratory’s work emphasized the role of peptide and hormone effects on appetitive behavior, motivation, learning and memory, and such social behaviors as aggression and submission.

Dr. Leshner is the author of An Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology, a major text on the relationship between hormones and behavior. He has written numerous book chapters and papers in professional journals and has published extensively in the areas of science and technology policy and education.

He has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the New York Academy of Sciences. He has received awards for his national leadership from such diverse groups as the American Psychiatric Association, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the National Mental Health Association, and the National Prevention Coalition.

Division of Clinical and Services Research