to do is work in partnership with our colleagues at the national institutes-national institute of mental health, the national institute of drug abuse, the national institute of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, and other nih institutes-and that science that they developed, as was pointed out by dr. laudet, was very rigorous, but translating, as dr. peterson pointed out, into practice is complex. so, using our addiction technology transfer centers, we need to educate people about the science. we have to influence the behavior when we use our funding to, shall we say, prime the pump, allow community-based organizations, state authorities, county authorities, tribal authorities to explore the implications of the science that's been developed by researchers for community practice because that's what's pointed out. they work brilliantly in the laboratory or an exquisitely controlled study, but doesn't work when generalized to the general community. so, what we want to use our portfolio for is to help facilitate that information sharing, so that we can determine the utility of the science, and so we can provide feedback to the scientific com

we have a blending initiative with the national institute of drug abuse where we're promoting effective evidence-based practices, and training materials are available, so that providers and consumers can get that information. we want to make sure that consumers, peers, families, as well as providers and policymakers are aware of the wide range of information because, at the end of the day, stigma and discrimination and the expectation of individuals with regard to mental health and addiction is a cultural phenomenon. when we look at the people who are not engaged in substance abuse treatment, 95 percent perceive no need for treatment. even though they meet criteria for abuse or dependence, they perceive no need. it's not that they don't want treatment. it's that they perceive no need for treatment. and that is the conundrum for the healthcare delivery system. if we don't facilitate that awareness at the community level, at the family level, at the employer level and at the provider level, , then we'e always going to be dealing with the extremes of these conditions and people will not re

near the end of the piece, the authors cite the director of the national institute of drug abuse basicallyaying this is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. what they don't tell you is, it has been. there's a solution. it's a drug called vivitrol, made by a small biopharma company, alkermes. if i had written this story the headline would be buy alkermes. after an opioid addict gets clean, you can give them a vivitrol shot once a month. it will prevent them relapsing. it blocks the receptors in your brain. in other words, it makes it effectively impossible to get high off of opioids. that's a huge step up from the old standard of care where patients have to take the drug daily and what they're taking is just a different opioid that's less dangerous. how big is this vivitrol opportunity? about 1.6 million people in this country are addicted to opioid-based drugs. three quarters of them will seek treatment. it could actually be a huge money saver for state governments. chris christie is saying how bad this is. they're spending fortunes treating these opioid addicts in prisons. not ever

as head of the national institute on drug abuse, norra volkov is revolutionizing the way america views addiction as a disease, not a moral failing. this has huge implications for treatment. welcome. it's very good to meet you. tell me how should we think about drug abuse? what is it scientifically that happens in the brain that makes us addicted to certain chemicals? >> drugs can attract our attention because we are hardwired to favor immediate rewards so pleasurable things motivate our behaviors and that's how we ensure that we procreate but drugs directly can activate it so they trick ourselves into believing these are behaviors we need to do. people that are vulnerable for a variety of reasons, they can result in addiction and now we know, for example, that drugs directly affect the way that the brain functions, underpinning or ability to exert self-control. >> does this affect our response to certain foods, for instance? let's talk about caffeine and coffee, chocolate, the other things that often we want to eat that we shouldn't. >> i'm laughing but -- >> chocolate. me, too. >> dru

increase has caused the national institute of health to send out a consumer alert, the first ever to warn boomers about the signs and dangers of precisions and illicit drug abuse. the warning all too late for rick, who is recovering and rebuilding his life. >> i have a job, i'm a positive influence and role model for my children. i lf a day at a time. >> dr. janet taylor is a psychologist and brad lamb is an interventionist. brad, this is what you do? >> i've seen it booming. i've heard a client mention it as an aarp onset. when the client is getting older, they're turning to the drug to deal with life's normal stressors. >> dr. taylor, a lot of it is stress and depression. we've seen in the baby boomers, an almost denial of growing older. is this part of the crisis, not wanting to accept the process >> one is that baby boomers are use to utilizing whether it's street drugs or self-medicating and they've grown up in that era of reaching for certainly. i think not enough physicians inquire about whether older americans are using substances in terms of how to cope. and then the fact is people are more stressed, whether it's retirement, life transition and there