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Government NewsFull Access

NIDA Launches Web Site for Teens

Published Online:21 Nov 2003https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.38.22.0008a

Teens are learning the facts about drug use, addiction, and research on new drug-addiction treatments with a new interactive Web site established by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

The Web site, “NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse,” is designed specifically for youth aged 11 to 15 and contains age-appropriate information on drugs, quizzes, and testimonials from teens who have been addicted to various drugs.

In addition, a section of the Web page is devoted to lessons parents and teachers can use to educate youth on drugs and addiction at home or in the classroom. It also contains a question-and-answer forum with NIDA Director Nora Volkow, M.D., whom the site refers to as “Dr. NIDA.”

The Web site, at teens.drugabuse.gov, also contains a scientific glossary young people can use to learn the terms commonly associated with addiction and the brain.

“We are excited about expanding the resources available to students and teachers on the science behind drug abuse and addiction,” Volkow said in a NIDA press release. The information on the Web site, she said, “meets teachers’ needs for engaging curricula that also fulfill national science-education objectives.”

NIDA’s other educational programs for young people include the following:

• Information for children on a Web site called “Brain Power!” The NIDA Junior Scientist Program has developed materials for second- and third-grade students on drugs of abuse and their effect on the brain. The Web site’s address is www.drugabuse.gov/JSP/JSP.html.

• A program for middle-school students called “Mind Over Matter.” It includes a series of informational magazines about the effects of drugs on the brain.

• “Heads Up: Real News About Drugs and Your Body,” which includes literature on the harmful effects of drugs for students in grades five to 11. The information is distributed to schools in the Scholastic classroom magazine and is posted on the Web at www.ScholasticNews.com.

“NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse” is posted on the Web at teens.drugabuse.gov. ▪