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January 22, 2003
DRUG CZAR UNVEILS NEW RESOURCE FOR
YOUTH DRUG PREVENTION
ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER EXHIBIT DEMONSTRATES LATEST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON ADDICTION, TEACHES YOUTH CONSEQUENCES OF DRUG USE
(Washington, D.C.)—A new resource for preventing youth drug use was unveiled in Phoenix, Arizona today, bringing the science of addiction research to youth drug prevention and treatment efforts around the nation. John Walters, the Director of National Drug Control Policy, or President Bush's "Drug Czar", was joined by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to unveil a new exhibit entitled "The Science of Addiction" at the Arizona Science Center.
The exhibit, sponsored by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), offers the latest research on how drugs affect the human brain and behavior. A series of interactive displays, including a simulated brain scanner, video visits to the labs of two brain scientists, and interviews with six young addicts in recovery, demonstrates the physiological and social consequences of addiction.
Director Walters said, "This exhibit reinforces the important drug prevention messages that young people should be receiving in school, at home, and throughout their communities. Drug use is not a harmless rite of passage for youth—it's a dangerous behavior that can cause serious and long-lasting damage to their bodies, their families, and their futures. We must continue to build on our success driving youth substance abuse down. Giving young people access to the latest scientific information is an important way to help them make healthy decisions about drug use."
The exhibit was developed under the leadership of ONDCP's Chief Scientist, Dr. Al Brandenstein, and Arizona Science Center CEO Sheila Grinell. It was reviewed by an advisory board of top scientists and offers the latest information from the cutting edge of brain science. Preview audiences of 5th–8th graders spent an average of 16 minutes at the exhibit—roughly four times longer than at any other exhibit in the Science Center.
"The exhibit illustrates the brain's reward circuitry where drugs trigger the release of a rush of dopamine, the naturally occurring brain substance that produces pleasure. The latest brain research shows that while drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, initially produce a powerful pleasure response, they leave addicts less capable of experiencing pleasure than people who do not use drugs," said Grinell.
Cox Communications, in partnership with ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, is bringing the exhibit to hundreds of thousands of school children through locally originated programming. Cox will produce a documentary about the exhibit, which it will air in classrooms throughout the country.
"We're proud to be supporting the effort to keep Arizona's kids drug-free," said Ivan Johnson, vice president of community relations and TeleVideo, Cox Communications. "The Media Campaign is a great fit for Cox because we have established channels to deliver its powerful information to parents, youth, educators and other community leaders."
The exhibit will be on permanent display at the Arizona Science Center and ONDCP plans to make other traveling and permanent exhibits available to museums throughout the nation.
