Nearly 12,000 drug treatment programs across the country will receive the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) Clinical Toolbox in the coming months. The resource is being distributed free of charge to provide clinicians with the most recent research on addiction prevention and treatment.

One of NIDA’s primary mandates is the dissemination of state-of-the-art research information about drug addiction and treatment. "This new toolbox," said NIDA Director Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D., "provides treatment professionals with a wealth of materials on new and effective approaches to help patients with drug-related problems."

The initial toolbox will include all current NIDA drug treatment publications, such as Approaches to Drug Abuse Counseling, the widely acclaimed Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide, and the NIDA Research Reports series, which includes the latest research information on anabolic steroids, cocaine, heroin, inhalants, nicotine, and methamphetamine. Also included are three treatment manuals on cocaine addiction, highlighting cognitive-behavioral, community reinforcement, and individual counseling approaches.

The toolbox includes a storage box with enough space for more resources. As additional reports and materials are developed, NIDA will disseminate them to all treatment programs for inclusion in the toolbox.

NIDA will be shipping the "Clinical Toolbox" starting later this month. Additional printed copies of materials in the toolbox will be available to drug treatment program staff free of charge.