U.S. Department of Health and Human Services NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) http://www.nida.nih.gov/ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, November 18, 2005 CONTACT: NIDA Press Office, 301-443-6245 Save-the-Date DRUG ABUSE & HIV/AIDS: LEARN THE LINK Press Briefing & Science Meeting Hosted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) WHAT: Dr. Nora D. Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, will convene a press briefing to launch NIDA's new public awareness campaign on the relationship between HIV/AIDS and drug abuse. A scientific meeting to share and discuss the latest scientific research on the connection between HIV/AIDS and drug abuse will follow the press briefing. WHY: Drug abuse continues to be a major avenue for the spread of HIV/AIDS in the United States, owing in large part to the correlation between drug use and other risky behaviors. Far beyond the implicit dangers of injecting drugs and becoming infected by contaminated needles, drug and alcohol use also leads to poor decision making and unsafe sexual behavior that put individuals at risk for acquiring HIV. In addition, drug abuse can adversely affect health and susceptibility to diseases. For these reasons, NIDA views drug abuse treatment as essential HIV prevention. The science meeting will feature leading researchers in the field, who will discuss the linkages between drug abuse and HIV, including how drug use can impact decision making. WHEN: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Press Briefing 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Science Meeting WHERE: National Press Club - Holeman Lounge 529-14th Street, NW - 13th Floor Washington, D.C. (Metro Center stop) INFO: Reporters who wish to attend should call the NIDA Press Office, tel. 301-443-6245. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- "The Nation's Medical Research Agency" -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov. ## This NIH News Release is available online at: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov2005/nida-18.htm. To subscribe (or unsubscribe) from this list, go to http://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=nihpress&A=1.
