How science has revolutionized the understanding of drug addiction

For much of the last century, scientific research about drugs and drug use
developed in the shadow of powerful myths and misconceptions about the
nature of addiction. When addictive behavior began to be studied in the
1930s, it was believed that addicted people lacked morals and willpower.
This motivated society to see drug consumption as a moral failure rather
than a health problem, which led to emphasizing punishment instead of
promoting prevention and treatment.

Thanks to science, our views and responses to addiction and the broader
range of drug use disorders have now radically changed. Groundbreaking
discoveries about the brain have revolutionized our understanding of
compulsive drug use and allowed us to respond to the problem effectively.

As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a health disorder

that affects the brain and changes behavior. Many of the biological and
environmental factors that carry risks of addiction have been identified, and
the genetic variations that contribute to the onset and progression of the
disorder are beginning to be explored. Based on this new knowledge,
scientists are working to create effective prevention and treatment methods
to reduce the harm that drug use causes to individuals, families, and
communities.

Despite these advances, we still do not fully understand why addiction

develops in some people or how drugs modify the brain to stimulate
compulsive drug use. This publication aims to fill that knowledge gap with
scientific information about drug addiction disorder, including its many
harmful consequences, and the basic methods that have been developed to
prevent and treat drug use disorders.
At the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) we believe that a deeper
understanding of the foundations of addiction will enable people to make
informed personal decisions, adopt science-based policies and programs that
reduce drug use and addiction. drug addiction in their communities, and
support scientific research that improves the well-being of the nation.