Publications | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Heroin DrugFacts

| En español

December 2022 | A plain-language research summary about heroin, including basic facts such as methods of use, its effects on the brain, other health effects, and treatment options.

Publications

September 2022 | The new 2022-2026 NIDA Strategic Plan advances NIDA’s commitment to addiction science. The priorities outlined in this strategic plan are intended to leverage the vast array of new tools and...

DrugFacts

Naloxone DrugFacts

| En español

January 2022 | Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person during an opioid overdose.

Research Report

Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorder Research Report

| En español

December 2021 | Discusses effective medications used to treat opioid use disorders: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

Publications

Careers at NIH: Navigating USAJobs as an Academic Scientist

June 2021 | The goal of this toolkit is to help candidates develop more competitive USAJobs application packages to improve the ability of qualified applicants to be selected.

DrugFacts

Fentanyl DrugFacts

| En español

June 2021 | Offers basic facts about the synthetic opioid Fentanyl including how it is abused, its effect on the brain, and other health effects.

Female pharmacist discusses dosage instructions and drug side effects with a patient.

DrugFacts

Prescription Opioids DrugFacts

| En español

June 2021 | A plain language summary of prescription opioids that explains effects on the brain and reported use.

DrugFacts

Cocaine DrugFacts

| En español

April 2021 | Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. Although health care providers can use it for valid medical purposes...

DrugFacts

Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products DrugFacts

| En español

April 2021 | Provides an overview of the effects of cigarette and other tobacco products, including their effect on the brain, other health effects, approaches to smoking or nicotine cessation, and overall use...

Publications

National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge

| En español

March 2021 | Encourages people to test their knowledge about drug use and addiction by asking them to take a 13-question quiz. Accompanying answers shed light on the science of drug use.

DrugFacts

Drug Use and Viral Infections (HIV, Hepatitis) DrugFacts

| En español

July 2020 | Discusses how people who engage in drug use or high-risk behaviors associated with drug use put themselves at risk for contracting or transmitting viral infections such as HIV/AIDS or hepatitis.

Publications

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction

| En español

July 2020 | Provides scientific information about the disease of drug addiction, including the many harmful consequences of drug misuse and the basic approaches that have been developed to prevent and treat the...

Doctor consoling sad senior male patient

DrugFacts

Substance Use in Older Adults DrugFacts

| En español

July 2020 | Provides information about the scope of substance use in older adults, the risk factors for substance use disorders in older adults, and the current statistical trends of substance use among...

DrugFacts

Synthetic Cathinones ("Bath Salts") DrugFacts

| En español

July 2020 | A plain language summary of synthetic cathinones and their health effects.

Close-up photo of marijuana concentrate.

DrugFacts

Cannabis (Marijuana) Concentrates DrugFacts

| En español

June 2020 | A summary about cannabis concentrates, how they are made, how they are used, and the health effects.

Young woman raising arms overhead after a workout.

Research Report

Misuse of Prescription Drugs Research Report

| En español

June 2020 | Offers the latest research findings on prescription drug misuse

DrugFacts

MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) DrugFacts

| En español

June 2020 | Provides basic facts about MDMA, also called Ecstasy or Molly, including how it affects the brain, other health effects, and its potential for addiction.

Uniformed women in a jail participate in a drug treatment seminar in Santa Ana, CA.

DrugFacts

Criminal Justice DrugFacts

| En español

June 2020 | Looks at the challenges with substance use disorders (SUDs) among people in the criminal justice system, and why treatment and follow up is important for inmates.

DrugFacts

Inhalants DrugFacts

| En español

April 2020 | Provides an overview of inhalants, including types of products commonly inhaled, effects on the brain, other adverse health effects, and potential for addiction.

This graph shows the percent of co-occuring substance use disorder and serious mental illness in the past year among people aged 18 or older from 2009 to 2015.

Research Report

Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report

April 2020 | Introduces a report that focuses on the topic of of common physical and mental health comorbidities with substance use disorders, a research priority for NIDA.

Research Report

Substance Use in Women Research Report

April 2020 | Examines women and substance use and sex and gender differences in drug addiction treatment.

Research Report

Cannabis (Marijuana) Research Report

| En español

July 2020 | Explores the latest research on cannabis, including the scope of marijuana use in the U.S., health consequences, its effects on everyday activities, and available treatments.

Close-up of young woman wearing glasses.

DrugFacts

Substance Use in Women DrugFacts

| En español

January 2020 | Provides a summary of key points related to women and substance use, including sex and gender differences in substance use and addiction treatment, and how substance use affects a mother...

DrugFacts

Vaping Devices (Electronic Cigarettes) DrugFacts

| En español

January 2020 | A plain-language research summary that describes how e-cigarettes work, how safe they are compared to traditional cigarettes, and if they can help with smoking cessation.

Research Report

Tobacco, Nicotine, and E-Cigarettes Research Report

| En español

May 2022 | Discusses the harmful effects of tobacco use, risks associated with pregnancy and adolescents, as well as best practices for the prevention and treatment of tobacco addiction.

Closeup of hand twist turn car key to start ignite engine for drive.

DrugFacts

Drugged Driving DrugFacts

| En español

December 2019 | Provides basic facts about drugged driving, including statistics, trends, and teen prevalence, and explains why drugged driving is hazardous, particularly as it relates to marijuana.

DrugFacts

Cannabis (Marijuana) DrugFacts

| En español

December 2019 | A plain-language summary about cannabis, how people use it, its effects on the brain and overall health, and treatment options for misuse.

Education

Mind Matters Series

| En español

December 2019 | Take a scientific journey to learn about the brain’s complex responses to specific drugs.

DrugFacts

Substance Use and Military Life DrugFacts

| En español

October 2019 | Offers an overview of trends of drug use in the military and the special risks faced by this population.

Research Report

Methamphetamine Research Report

| En español

October 2019 | Provides an overview of the latest scientific findings on methamphetamine, including short- and long-term health consequences, effects on pregnancy, and potential prevention and treatment options.

Policy Brief

Is Cannabis (Marijuana) Safe to Use While Pregnant or Breastfeeding?

| En español

August 2019 | To date, there are no cannabis-derived medications that are FDA-approved for treating conditions associated with pregnancy, including nausea. However, cannabis is the illicit drug most commonly used by pregnant women...

DrugFacts

Genetics and Epigenetics of Addiction DrugFacts

| En español

August 2019 | Explores the role of genetics and epigenetics in the development and treatment of drug abuse and addiction.

DrugFacts

Methamphetamine DrugFacts

| En español

May 2019 | Provides facts about the stimulant drug methamphetamine, including how it affects the brain, other adverse health effects, and secondhand methamphetamine smoke.

Research Report

Heroin Research Report

| En español

June 2018 | Offers the latest scientific information on heroin use and its consequences as well as treatment options available for those struggling with heroin addiction.

Illustration of a neuron showing dopamine and dopamine receptors

DrugFacts

Understanding Drug Use and Addiction DrugFacts

| En español

June 2018 | Provides an overview of drug use and addiction, including what happens in the brain during drug use, why some people become addicted while others don't, and the importance of prevention.

Doctor is Writing a Prescription in the Consulting Room

DrugFacts

Prescription Stimulants DrugFacts

| En español

June 2018 | A plain language summary of prescription stimulant medications, how they affect the body, and how addiction can be treated.

A passage of text with the word Depressants in bold

DrugFacts

Prescription CNS Depressants DrugFacts

| En español

March 2018 | A plain language research summary of CNS depressants, how they can be misused, and how they affect the brain.

DrugFacts

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice) DrugFacts

| En español

February 2018 | A plain language summary of synthetic cannabinoids, how they are used, and how they affect the brain and body.

Research Report

Prescription Opioids and Heroin Research Report

January 2018 | Explores the relationship between prescription opioid abuse and heroin use, including prescription opioid use as a risk factor for heroin use, reasons why people progress from using prescription opioids to...

Customer in pharmacy holding medicine bottle.

DrugFacts

Over-the-Counter Medicines DrugFacts

| En español

December 2017 | A plain-language research summary that describes how popular over-the-counter medications are misused and provides information on why this can be dangerous.

Policy Brief

Treating Opioid Addiction in Criminal Justice Settings

| En español

December 2017 | This brief fact sheet provides information about why it is important to treat opioid addiction in criminal justice settings and how treatment is being provided.

2D chemical structure depiction of MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)

Research Report

MDMA (Ecstasy) Abuse Research Report

| En español

September 2017 | Describes the science behind MDMA (ecstasy) abuse, including what it does to the brain, whether it is addictive, and the latest research regarding prevention and treatment of MDMA.

Policy Brief

Treating Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy

| En español

July 2017 | This brief fact sheet discusses the risks of untreated opioid use disorder during pregnancy, particularly neonatal abstinence syndrome, and provides evidence-based treatment options that have been shown to be safe...

Policy Brief

Naloxone for Opioid Overdose: Life-Saving Science

| En español

March 2017 | This brief fact sheet provides information about the life-saving drug naloxone, which can reverse an opioid overdose, including how it works and where to get it.

Policy Brief

Improving Opioid Prescribing

| En español

March 2017 | This brief fact sheet provides information about the risks of prescription opioid pain relievers and a summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Guideline for Opioid Prescribing for...

Policy Brief

Effective Treatments for Opioid Addiction

| En español

November 2016 | This brief fact sheet provides information about the effectiveness of medications for opioid use disorders and recent scientific advances in this area.

Research Report

Cocaine Research Report

| En español

May 2016 | Describes the latest research findings on cocaine, exploring the scope of abuse in the U.S., its potential long- and short-term health effects, maternal cocaine use, and treatment approaches.

Research Report

Therapeutic Communities Research Report

July 2015 | Describes a type of long-term residential treatment for substance use disorders called therapeutic communities, including how they treat populations with special needs and how they can be incorporated into the...

Research Report

HIV/AIDS Research Report

| En español

July 2012 | Explores the link between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS and discusses treatment options, populations most at risk, trends in HIV/AIDS, and ways to counter these trends.

Research Report

Inhalants Research Report

| En español

July 2012 | Provides scientific research on the nature and extent of inhalant abuse, its potential health consequences, and hazards of chemicals found in commonly abused inhalants.