News
New report sheds light on brain science behind addiction
Friday, 3 July 2009The report, co-authored by SPH’s Professor Wayne Hall and Adrian Carter from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute and School of Philosophy, History and the Classics, is published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). They worked with UK colleagues Richard Ashcroft, Ben Capps, Ruud Ter Meulen and David Nutt to produce the report which examines the social, ethical and policy implications of scientific developments in the field of addiction.
The report explores how advances in brain research now provide a better understanding of how drug dependence develops, and offer potential for new prevention strategies and psychological and pharmacological treatments.
Professor Hall said that shedding light on how people become addicted to drugs will help shape drug laws, polices and interventions.
“Neuroscience provides us with a better understanding of drug dependence and of why addicts may fail to stop abusing drugs even when experiencing negative consequences,” said Professor Hall.
“This new research offers the potential for new prevention strategies and psychological and pharmacological treatments.”
The full report can be downloaded here.
More information:
Professor Wayne Hall
w.hall@sph.uq.edu.au
T: 07 3365 5442
Vanessa Mannix Coppard (Communications)
v.mannixcoppard@sph.uq.edu.au
T: 042 420 7771
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
www.emcdda.europa.eu
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