Sen. Biden: "Addiction is a Preventable, Treatable Disease"

March 29, 2007

Press Release-Sen. Biden: "Addiction is a Preventable, Treatable Disease"

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE), Chairman ofthe Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs has introducedlegislation to recognize addiction as a preventable and treatableneurobiological disease, and to better identify the roles and missionsof our research institutes.Sen. Biden's legislation (S. 1011) will change the name of NationalInstitute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to National Institute on Diseases ofAddiction, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism(NIAAA) to the National Institute on Alcohol Disorders and Health."Addiction is a neurobiological disease - not a lifestyle choice - andlead by example and change the names of our Federal research institutes\u003cbr /\>to accurately reflect this reality. By changing the way we talk about\u003cbr /\>addiction, we change the way people think about addiction, both of which\u003cbr /\>are critical steps in getting past the social stigma too often\u003cbr /\>associated with the disease."\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>NIDA Name Change :\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Sen. Biden\'s legislation changes the National Institute on Drug Abuse to\u003cbr /\>the National Institute on Diseases of Addiction.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>The change has a dual purpose. First, it removes the pejorative term\u003cbr /\>"abuse" from the Institute\'s name and properly helps to distance that\u003cbr /\>notion from the disease of addiction. Second, the new name more clearly\u003cbr /\>links the concepts of addiction and disease, a connection that\u003cbr /\>scientific study clearly supports. Identifying addiction as a\u003cbr /\>neurobiological disease will diminish the social stigma, discrimination,\u003cbr /\>and personal shame that is often a barrier to seeking treatment, and it\u003cbr /\>will further a common understanding of diseases of addiction.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Despite the name change, NIDA\'s mission will remain the same. Like the\u003cbr /\>NIAAA, the NIDA was made an institute at the National Institutes of\u003cbr /\>Health in 1992 and it will continue bringing the power of science to\u003cbr /\>bear on drug use and addiction. It will also continue to pursue\u003cbr /\>cutting-edge research aimed at improving our national health and\u003cbr /\>well-being by reducing the profound burden of drug use and addiction on\u003cbr /\>individuals and society as a whole. In addition, NIDA will continue to\u003cbr /\>emphasize addiction as a preventable and treatable disease, working to\u003cbr /\>remove the stigma associated with addiction and to underscore that\u003cbr /\>diseases of addiction are critical national health issues.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>NIAAA Name Change:\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Senator Biden\'s legislation also changes the National Institute on\u003cbr /\>Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to the National Institute on Alcohol\u003cbr /\>",1]);//-->it's about time we start treating it as such," said Sen. Biden. "We mustlead by example and change the names of our Federal research institutesto accurately reflect this reality. By changing the way we talk aboutaddiction, we change the way people think about addiction, both of whichare critical steps in getting past the social stigma too oftenassociated with the disease."NIDA Name Change :Sen. Biden's legislation changes the National Institute on Drug Abuse tothe National Institute on Diseases of Addiction.The change has a dual purpose. First, it removes the pejorative term"abuse" from the Institute's name and properly helps to distance thatnotion from the disease of addiction. Second, the new name more clearlylinks the concepts of addiction and disease, a connection thatscientific study clearly supports. Identifying addiction as aneurobiological disease will diminish the social stigma, discrimination,and personal shame that is often a barrier to seeking treatment, and itwill further a common understanding of diseases of addiction.Despite the name change, NIDA's mission will remain the same. Like theNIAAA, the NIDA was made an institute at the National Institutes ofHealth in 1992 and it will continue bringing the power of science tobear on drug use and addiction. It will also continue to pursuecutting-edge research aimed at improving our national health andwell-being by reducing the profound burden of drug use and addiction onindividuals and society as a whole. In addition, NIDA will continue toemphasize addiction as a preventable and treatable disease, working toremove the stigma associated with addiction and to underscore thatdiseases of addiction are critical national health issues.NIAAA Name Change:Senator Biden's legislation also changes the National Institute onAlcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to the National Institute on Alcoholinception as a component of the former Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental\u003cbr /\>Health Administration. At that time, almost all of the NIAAA\'s\u003cbr /\>responsibilities were to provide alcohol treatment and prevention\u003cbr /\>services.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>In the intervening years, Congress passed laws that strengthened NIAAA\'s\u003cbr /\>research responsibilities and transferred its non-research programs\u003cbr /\>elsewhere. NIAAA conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral\u003cbr /\>research with respect to the health, social, and economic consequences\u003cbr /\>of alcohol use. It also researches the prevention of alcohol abuse and\u003cbr /\>the treatment of alcoholism by, for example, performing genetic studies\u003cbr /\>and furthering medications development. The Institute\'s research also\u003cbr /\>focuses on the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption for\u003cbr /\>some people as well as the negative effects of excessive alcohol use and\u003cbr /\>alcoholism. Finally, we now have data indicating that excessive alcohol\u003cbr /\>use and alcohol dependence (alcoholism) are not separate diagnostic\u003cbr /\>categories, but exist along a single continuum of alcohol-disorders\u003cbr /\>associated with increased frequency of a harmful drinking pattern.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Numerous addiction organizations support the name changes and both\u003cbr /\>institutes at the National Institutes of Health feel strongly that the\u003cbr /\>modifications are important. Indeed, the facts are self evident. The\u003cbr /\>2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that addiction\u003cbr /\>affects 23.2 million Americans in our country, of whom only 10 percent\u003cbr /\>are receiving the treatment they need. Many are deterred even from\u003cbr /\>seeking such treatment, partly because of the social stigma associated\u003cbr /\>with admitting to a drug or alcohol dependency.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>Senators Kennedy and Enzi, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Health,\u003cbr /\>Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, respectively, are cosponsors\u003cbr /\>of the bill.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>"This bill is a small but important step towards stripping away the\u003cbr /\>social stigma surrounding the treatment of diseases of addiction," said\u003cbr /\>Sen. Biden.\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003cbr /\>\u003c/div\>",0]);//-->Disorders and Health. The previous name is a vestige of the Institute'sinception as a component of the former Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and MentalHealth Administration. At that time, almost all of the NIAAA'sresponsibilities were to provide alcohol treatment and preventionservices.In the intervening years, Congress passed laws that strengthened NIAAA'sresearch responsibilities and transferred its non-research programselsewhere. NIAAA conducts and supports biomedical and behavioralresearch with respect to the health, social, and economic consequencesof alcohol use. It also researches the prevention of alcohol abuse andthe treatment of alcoholism by, for example, performing genetic studiesand furthering medications development. The Institute's research alsofocuses on the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption forsome people as well as the negative effects of excessive alcohol use andalcoholism. Finally, we now have data indicating that excessive alcoholuse and alcohol dependence (alcoholism) are not separate diagnosticcategories, but exist along a single continuum of alcohol-disordersassociated with increased frequency of a harmful drinking pattern.Numerous addiction organizations support the name changes and bothinstitutes at the National Institutes of Health feel strongly that themodifications are important. Indeed, the facts are self evident. The2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that addictionaffects 23.2 million Americans in our country, of whom only 10 percentare receiving the treatment they need. Many are deterred even fromseeking such treatment, partly because of the social stigma associatedwith admitting to a drug or alcohol dependency.Senators Kennedy and Enzi, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Health,Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, respectively, are cosponsorsof the bill."This bill is a small but important step towards stripping away thesocial stigma surrounding the treatment of diseases of addiction," saidSen. Biden.