UNDERSTANDING DRUG ABUSE & ADDICTION: MYTHS vs. REALITY A Town Meeting November 10, 1999 DoubleTree Hotel Seattle Airport Seattle, WA

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is holding a series of Town Meetings with community leaders throughout the nation in an effort to educate the public about drug abuse and addiction. One such meeting, entitled "Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction: Myths vs. Reality," will be held in Seattle, WA on November 10, 1999.

The purpose of this Town Meeting is to disseminate the results of NIDA-supported research and to show how they can be used to deal with problems of drug abuse and addiction at state and community levels. NIDA Director Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D., will present the Keynote Address.

When and Where? Wednesday, November 10, 1999. 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (Registration starts at 7:30 am). DoubleTree Hotel Seattle Airport: 18740 Pacific Highway South; Seattle, Washington

Who Should Attend? Civic leaders, policymakers, public officials, drug abuse prevention and treatment professionals, law enforcement personnel, health care providers, criminal justice workers, and concerned citizens

What Topics?

• Current research findings about drug abuse and addiction
• How the brain is involved in addiction
• New treatment advances (medications, behavioral strategies, benefits and outcomes of treatment)
• HIV, hepatitis, and other health consequences of drug abuse
• Research to Practice and Policy Roundtable: Focus on Drug Court, TANF, CPS Policy Issues
• Drug abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders
• Principles of effective prevention

The Seattle Town Meeting will also feature the NIDA Research Gallery, a presentation by NIDA researchers from Washington State:

• Richard Catalano, Ph.D., School of Social Work, University of Washington
• Charles Chavkin, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington
• Dennis M. Donovan, Ph.D., Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington
• Michael Gorman, Ph.D., Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington
• Andrew Saxon, M.D., Veterans Administration Medical Center, Seattle, Washington
• Richard Ries, M.D., Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington
• Elizabeth Wells, Ph.D., Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington

Registration: There is a $25 registration fee that includes meeting materials and luncheon. Registration fees cannot be refunded after November 3, 1999. On-site registration fee (pending space availability) is $30. Print out a registration form.

For More Information: Call Glen Fischer at (301) 468-6008, ext. 425

Sponsored By:

• National Institute on Drug Abuse / National Institutes of Health
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington
• Office of the Governor and Office of the Lieutenant Governor, State of Washington
• Washington State Senate
• Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services, Div. of Alcohol and Substance Abuse