April 2002 Workshop

"I had a great time in Atlanta - really learned a lot of things I didn't know. I really appreciate the invitation and all the hard work you guys did in putting it together. Thanks very much again to you and everyone else connected with the Addiction Studies program for inviting me to the Atlanta program. It was a very valuable experience."

"I have a much better understanding of addiction."

"I actually learned some things. Very rare for a seminar."

"The program has definitely made me examine the way I think about addictions."

"Dinner was a great time to hone in on particular questions and prejudices about drugs and addiction."

"I had avoided these stories [about drug abuse and addiction] because of my lack of knowledge – I am far more likely to seek out these stories now."

"What I liked most about the program were the website resources, the hand-out material, and the fact that it has already provided me with about 6 story ideas."

"FABULOUS!"

"The thing I liked the most was learning about the physical reactions/actions of the brain when exposed to different substances."

"Keep doing what you are doing. I learned a lot and believe the program will prove very valuable in my work. Thanks for the invitation"

"Thank you for thinking of journalists. It’s always helpful when we can learn of our past mistakes/misinterpretations so that we can do a more thorough job in the future. Also, thanks for being generous with your contact information. I hope to put it to use."

"Knowledge helps promote understanding. I saw drug addiction as a black and white issue before this conference. Drug addicts were law breakers. They chose to break the law. I now believe it’s a gray area. Some people’s brains are changed. I shouldn’t be so harshly judgmental."

"The program provides more sources for me. It has shown me there is a lot more I can add to every story."

"Keep up the great work. I hope some day there is a Part 2."

"Thank you for inviting me – and for putting up with my questions!"

"Great resource! Nice Power Point presentation – gives good context."

"An eye-opening lecture, courageous!"

"The program sparked my interest. I’m leaving with several story ideas and a better understanding of addiction."

"Interesting and informative."

"Good primer. Easy to understand."

"I am very happy I came."

"I very much enjoyed the sense of openness and willingness of all participants to be available to assist with future stories and research."

"I think now I will look for stories I wouldn’t have, and in reporting on addiction/crime stories I’ll have better ways to approach them."

"I discovered many story ideas to pursue and sources for information here."

"I liked the technical explanations about what happens to a person who becomes addicted, and I think I have a much improved understanding of it."

"Great faculty!"

"Dr. Gallanter (guest lecturer from the American Society of Addiction Medicine) made me realize how new addiction studies really are in U.S. medicine. That psychiatrists and internists are just starting drug addiction training is amazing!"

"This was the best presentation of the day. He clearly explained what happens in the body. He was able to take a complicated topic and make it understandable for a regular person."

"I feel much more informed. Enabling me to understand some of the more technical [scientific] jargon will certainly make it easier to paraphrase for the general public."

"I now have a better understanding of the role of genetics and environment; better sources, and information."

Sue Rusche
Co-Director
Addiction Studies Program for Journalists
Chairman, President, and CEO
National Families in Action
Atlanta, Georgia

Lawrence S. Brown, Jr., M.D., MPH, FASAM
Senior Research and Treatment Corporation
(and Associate Professor of Public Health
Weill Medical College of Cornell University)
Brooklyn, New York

Marc Galanter, M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
New York University School of Medicine
New York, New York

Douglas B. Marlowe, J.D., Ph.D.
Director, Section on Criminal Justice Research
Treatment Research Institute at the
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Susan Rook
Editor, The Next Step
Public Affairs Director
Step One, Inc.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Jack Strandhoy, Ph.D.
Professor
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Frank Vocci, Ph.D.
Director
Division of Treatment Research and Development
National Institute of Drug Abuse
National Institute of Health
Bethesda, Maryland

Kent E. Vrana, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director of Graduate Studies
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Mark Wright
Director/News Media
Public Relations and Marketing
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Marilyn Yates
Secretary
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

9:00 Introduction
David Friedman

9:15 Animal Models of Addiction
Kent Vrana

9:30 Shaping the Discussion
Jack Strandhoy

10:00 A History of Addiction in America
Sue Rusche

11:00 Break

11:15 Lecture/Discussion
The Neurobiology of Addiction
David Friedman

1:00 Lunch

2:00 Lecture/Discussion
The Pharmacology of Addiction
Shelly Schwartz-Bloom

3:45 Break

4:00 Scientifically Reliable Web Sources
Sue Rusche

5:00 Adjourn

6:00 Reception
Crystal Ballroom-D

7:00 Dinner
Speaker: Susan Rook