Addiction Studies Program for State Legislators

描述（由申请人提供）： 全国各地的州立法者正在就涉及药物滥用和成瘾的复杂问题做出艰难的政策决定，而没有科学的专门知识来批判性地评估这些问题。这些立法者通常没有背景或机会学习与滥用和成瘾有关的科学。事实上，许多人不知道预防或治疗药物滥用是有科学依据的。科学家们通常对这种情况没有任何帮助。科学发现发表在不易获取或理解的期刊上，科学家往往无法以外行观众可以理解的方式展示他们的知识。因此，政策辩论不是以科学为基础，而是政治性的，而且很容易受到特殊利益的影响。 我们认为这种情况是可以纠正的。在过去四年中，致瘾研究方案将从基础和应用领域精心挑选的药物滥用科学家聚集在一起，向听众提供关于滥用和致瘾的准确科学信息，听众目前共有100多名电子和印刷媒体的记者。在为期两天的研讨会中，讲座与充分的人际互动和对公众关注的具体问题的现有科学信息的详细讨论相结合。 记者们对这些信息很容易接受。与会者制作了一本书，许多报纸和杂志文章，广播和电视节目关于成瘾，和一个电影剧本。现在，我们与治疗研究所和国家州立法者理事会合作，建议在未来五年内扩大和调整这种讲习班的方法，以教育至少100名州立法者。这些讲习班将使现有的科学信息与立法者面临的重要政策问题相匹配，并将包括对这些努力的影响进行评价。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): State legislators throughout this country are making difficult policy decisions about complex issues involving drug abuse and addiction without the scientific expertise to critically evaluate these issues. These legislators typically do not have the background or opportunity to learn the science pertinent to abuse and addiction. Indeed, many are unaware that there is a scientific basis for preventing or treating drug abuse. Scientists have generally not helped the situation. Scientific findings are presented in journals that are not easily accessible or understandable, and scientists are often not able to present their knowledge in ways lay audiences can grasp. As a result, instead of policy debates proceeding from a scientific base, they tend to be political in nature, and much susceptible to special interest influences as well. We believe this situation is correctable. During the past four years the Addiction Studies Program has brought carefully selected drug abuse scientists from basic and applied areas together to present accurate scientific information about abuse and addiction to audiences that now total over 100 journalists from the electronic and print media. In the course of a two-day workshop, lectures are paired with ample interpersonal interaction and detailed discussion of the available scientific information on specific issues of public concern. The journalists have been very receptive to the information. Attendees have produced a book, numerous newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television shows about addiction, and a movie script. Now, in partnership with the Treatment Research Institute and the National Council of State Legislators, we propose to extend and tailor this workshop approach to educate at least 100 state legislators over the next five years. These workshops will match available scientific information to the important policy questions facing legislators and will include an evaluation of the impact of those efforts.