About the Workshops

Every day citizens ask policymakers to do something about substance abuse problems. Every day scientists are making remarkable new discoveries about the ways addictive drugs affect the brain. Executive and legislative branches of state government and staff need the latest scientific knowledge to craft workable, effective policies.

The Addiction Studies Program for the States is designed to give policymakers and key staff the latest scientific information about addiction. The program conducts workshops to transmit this information to 12-member state teams consisting of legislators, legislative staff, governor's staff, and agency staff that are bi-partisan, bi-cameral, and cross-disciplinary (health, human services, criminal justice, child welfare, appropriations, etc.). Time is built into the workshops for teams to engage in facilitated discussions to formulate a plan before going home.

The two-and-a-half day workshops employ an interactive, problem-based format that engages the skills and knowledge of policymakers and staff. Participants have ample time to interact with program faculty -- internationally known scientists and others who have made important contributions to the drug-abuse research, treatment, prevention, and education fields. Faculty are drawn from Wake Forest University, Harvard University, Emory University, Columbia University, Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Illinois, University of Utah, University of Pennsylvania, University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at Berkeley, University of Miami, New York University, University of Washington, Temple University, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and other research institutions.