NIDA Develops New Resource To Fight Prescription Drug Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has developed a “Community Drug Alert Bulletin” that addresses the latest scientific research on the non-medical use of prescription drugs of abuse and addiction. The bulletin summarizes the emerging problem in our country and the disturbing trend of non-medical use of prescription drugs, and can be a useful tool for social workers trying to prevent and reduce prescription drug abuse among youth.

The Community Drug Alert Bulletin is geared for social workers, parents, teachers, counselors, school nurses and others who are associated with those at risk of prescription drug use for non-medical purposes.

NIDA has also produced the “Research Report Series: Prescription Drugs Abuse and Addiction” and a companion “Commonly Abused Drugs” chart. The laminated reference card provides information about most major drugs of abuse, their commercial street names, their short-and long-term effects, their modes of administration, and their Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) controlled substances schedules. The research report describes the consequences of prescription drug abuse and reviews recent research in this area.

To order these free resources, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse, go to the publications page, then type in the name of the publication(s) you would like to receive. You can also call (800) 729-6686 to order free NIDA resources by phone.