National Institute on Drug Abuse

Featured Articles :

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, 2 mg of fentanyl (which can fit on the tip of a pencil) can be enough to kill the average American.
October 08, 2024

Fentanyl 101

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic (lab-made) opioid. Prescription fentanyl is FDA -approved to treat severe pain related to surgery or...

Substance Use Disorder, Opioids
Like other chronic medical conditions, SUDs can be managed.
October 01, 2024

Substance use disorders: Get the facts and find support  

Millions of Americans are affected by substance use disorders (SUDs). SUDs are chronic but treatable medical conditions that change the...

Substance Use Disorder

Changing the way we talk about addiction can help reduce stigma and may even improve treatment outcomes.
September 26, 2024

A better way to say that: Stigmatizing language affects how we treat addiction

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronic, treatable conditions that people can recover from, but stigma around them makes it hard...

Substance Use Disorder, Mental Health, Alcohol Use Disorder
Having multiple little talks with your teens about substance use can be more effective than one “big talk.” These talks can be short and informal.
September 24, 2024

8 tips for talking (and listening) to your teens about drugs and alcohol

Talking to your children about drugs and alcohol can be…well, awkward. It’s hard to know what to ask them, what...

Substance Use Disorder, Teen Health, Alcohol Use Disorder

Narcan is a brand of naloxone and is available as a nasal spray.
September 19, 2024

How naloxone reverses opioid overdoses (and why it’s important to have on hand!)

Naloxone is a powerful tool for preventing deaths from opioid overdoses. First responders and health care providers use this medication...

Substance Use Disorder, Opioids, Opioid Overdose
Addiction recovery is not always an easy climb. For some people it’s a complicated path.
September 17, 2024

‘I choose to climb instead of fall’

Rachel George is in recovery for opioid use disorder (OUD). Now she’s sharing her story with NIH MedlinePlus Magazine to...

Substance Use Disorder, Opioid Use Disorder, Opioids

Over the long term, alcohol can increase your risk of more than 200 different diseases, including in the liver and pancreas, and certain cancers.
August 10, 2023

Alcohol’s health effects: What you need to know

Drinking alcohol is so common that people may not question how even one beer, cocktail, or glass of wine could...

Alcohol Use Disorder
Researchers are studying how social influence around vaping affects teens.
November 05, 2020

Under the influence: NIH research shows teen vaping, social pressure on the rise

Vapes. E-cigarettes. E-hookahs. Mods. Vaporizer devices all have the same purpose: to heat liquids containing nicotine or marijuana that people...

Vaping

Common vaping devices include tanks or mods (left) and e-cigarettes.
October 21, 2020

Vaping: What you need to know

Vapes are battery-operated devices that heat liquid with nicotine, marijuana, or flavorings. Some vapes contain other unknown substances or chemicals....

Vaping
Talking with your children about the dangers of vaping can help prevent long-lasting health problems.
September 24, 2020

Tips for talking to your teen about vaping

Vaping nicotine or marijuana can cause long-lasting health problems for your child. So, it's important to talk with your...

Vaping

Personal Story

James M. maintains a drug-free lifestyle with support from UTEC, Inc.
January 13, 2019

Renewal and recovery after opioid dependence

For the past six years, James M. was in and out of jail, courtrooms, detox, and halfway houses. "I started...

Opioids, Personal Story
January 09, 2019

Healing and haiku: One parent’s experience with addiction and loss

Haiku is a form of poetry that can express complex emotions and ideas in a short and simple form. In...

Opioids, Personal Story