NIDA weighs in on tobacco industry funding

The National Institute of Drug Abuse has published "Points to Consider Regarding Tobacco Industry Funding of NIDA Applicants" on its website. This document cautions NIDA grantees from accepting research funding from the tobacco industry because it could: "compromise the perceived objectivity of their research results and affect the overall credibility of their research findings; be viewed as contributing to tobacco industry interests; and negatively impact NIDA’s credibility and the public trust in NIDA-funded research."

The full document can be found at this link.

NIH may form new institute for addiction research

The National Institutes of Health has made a recommendation to Dr. Francis Collins, the Director, that all substance use, abuse and addiction research be concentrated under one, new institution, rather than spread out among the National Institutes of Drug Abuse, of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and various other programs within additional institutions under the NIH. A task force has been put together to look into this possibility; in the meantime all substance research will continue as is.