Preventing
Drug Abuse:
Putting Science to Practice for Real World Solutions
A Congressional Briefing Sponsored by
The FRIENDS OF NIDA
Monday, June 12, 2006
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APA Scientist Richard Spoth, PhD, was a featured speaker at the
sixth in the Friends of NIDA coalition's educational briefing series, held on
June 12 and entitled, "Preventing Drug Abuse: Putting Science to Practice
for Real World Solutions". Dr. Spoth, Director of the Partnerships in
Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State University, presented empirical
findings from his 15 years of NIDA-funded experimental research on
partnership-based implementation of a range of interventions for youth and
families, including long-term positive outcomes, economic benefits, success of
the evidence-based PROSPER partnership model, and future directions in
partnership network development. The science of preventing drug abuse has made
great progress in recent years, largely due to NIDA's investment in long-term
research on the biological, behavioral and environmental underpinnings of drug
abuse behaviors and effective prevention programs.
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| Richard Spoth, PhD, Director of the Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute at Iowa State University, presented findings from his NIDA-funded experimental research. | |
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Diane Eckert, a leader in a Fairfax community-based prevention coalition, discussed how evidence based practices have been effective within her community. Anna Freund, a Fairfax high school student, provided a rare youth perspective on the problem of adolescent drug abuse, and shared her experiences as a young advocate educating her peers on the risks and costs of drug abuse. Nora Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, provided an overview of NIDA's drug abuse prevention research portfolio, highlighting important differences in the brain architecture and connectivity of adolescents, including research findings on how drugs affect adolescent brain plasticity in particular. The briefing drew an audience of approximately 100 people, including personal and committee staff from House and Senate offices.
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| Diane
Eckert, a leader in a Fairfax community-based prevention coalition,
discussed how evidence based practices have been effective within her
community in the fight to prevent drug abuse.
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| Anna Freund, a Fairfax high school student,
provided a youth perspective on the problem of drug abuse.
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| The briefing drew an audience of approximately
100 people, including personal and committee staff from House and Senate
offices. |