The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the largest supporter of the world’s research on substance use and addiction. Part of the National Institutes of Health, NIDA conducts and supports biomedical research to advance the science on substance use and addiction and improve individual and public health. Look below for more information on drug use, health, and NIDA’s research efforts.
Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care.
Research by Substance
Find evidence-based information on specific drugs and substance use disorders.
- Alcohol
- Cannabis (Marijuana)
- Cocaine
- Commonly Used Drugs Charts
- Emerging Drug Trends
- Fentanyl
- Heroin
- Inhalants
- Ketamine
- Kratom
- Methamphetamine
- MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly)
- Opioids
- Over-the-Counter Medicines
- Prescription Medicines
- Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)
- Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs
- Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs as Medicines
- Steroids (Anabolic)
- Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice)
- Synthetic Cathinones (Bath Salts)
- Tobacco/Nicotine and Vaping
- Xylazine
Drug Use and Addiction
Learn how science has deepened our understanding of drug use and its impact on individual and public health.
- Addiction Science
- Co-Occurring Disorders and Health Conditions
- COVID-19
- Drug Checking
- Drug Testing
- Drugged Driving
- Drugs and the Brain
- Drug Overdose Deaths: Facts and Figures
- Harm Reduction
- Hepatitis
- HIV
- Infographics
- Mental Health
- Monitoring the Future
- National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS)
- Overdose Prevention Centers
- Overdose Reversal Medications
- Pain
- Prevention
- Recovery
- Stigma and Discrimination
- Syringe Services Programs
- Trauma and Stress
- Treatment
- Trends and Statistics
- Words Matter: Preferred Language for Talking About Addiction
People and Places
NIDA research supports people affected by substance use and addiction throughout the lifespan and across communities.
- The Adolescent Brain and Substance Use
- College-Age and Young Adults
- Criminal Justice
- Global Health
- LGBTQI+ People and Substance Use
- Military Life and Substance Use
- National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Organizers and Participants
- Older Adults
- Parents and Educators
- Pregnancy and Early Childhood
- Sex, Gender, and Drug Use
Related Resources
- Learn more about Overdose Prevention from the Department of Health and Human Services.
- Learn more about substance use treatment, prevention, recovery support, and related services from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- Learn more about the health effects of alcohol and alcohol use disorder from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
- Learn more the approval and regulation of prescription medicines from the Food and Drug Administration.
- Learn more about efforts to measure, prevent, and address public health impacts of substance use from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Learn more about controlled substance law and regulation enforcement from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
- Learn more about policies impacting substance use from the Office of National Drug Control Policy.