CLUB DRUGS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN NEW NATIONAL EDUCATION AND PREVENTION INITIATIVE BY NIDA AND NATIONAL PARTNERS Initiative Includes Research Funding and Community Outreach As part of a national initiative to combat the increasing use of club drugs, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) today announced that it will raise its funding for research about club drugs and what to do about them by 40 percent, bringing the total committed to this important effort to $54 million. In addition, NIDA and four national organizations launched a multi-media public education strategy to alert teens, young adults, parents, educators and others about the dangers of club drugs such as Ecstasy, GHB and Rohypnol, which are often used at all night raves or dance parties and have potentially life-threatening effects. Club drugs are not harmless fun drugs. While users of club drugs may think theyre taking them simply for energy to keep on dancing or partying, research shows these drugs can have long-lasting negative effects on the brain that can alter memory function and motor skills. When these drugs are combined with alcohol, they become even more dangerous and potentially life-threatening, said Dr. Alan I. Leshner, NIDA Director. Joining forces with NIDA are the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Join Together, and National Families in Action (NFIA). These organizations also have been tracking the growth of club drugs throughout the United States, especially among youth and young adults. At a news conference in Washington, DC, that coincided with CADCAs annual meeting, Dr. Leshner outlined how NIDA and its partners will work together to increase the publics awareness of the effects these drugs may have on the physical and mental health of the nations youth. In addition to committing substantially more funds for much-needed research, we are using a multi-media ed
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Contact: Michelle Muth
MM488g@nih.gov
301-443-6245
NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse
30-Nov-1999