Resources for Journalists/Press

Welcome to the Lancaster Drug & Alcohol Information Center's Resource Page for Journalists/Press. Below you will find links to informational websites that are of special interest to journalists.

Quick-Facts On…
(Source: http://www.addictionstudies.org/links.html)

1. Reliable Information about Drugs
The federal government finances most of the scientific research that tracks the extent of the drug problem in the United States. One way to find this information quickly is via a chart prepared by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The chart contains numerous links that will take you directly to the source information.

• Federal Drug Data Source

2. Drug Effects
Three federal agencies finance nearly all of the biomedical research about the effects of drugs on the brain and body. They are:

Drugs:        National Institute on Drug Abuse
Alcohol:     National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Tobacco:  Centers for Disease Control

• Monitoring the Future Survey


• National Survey on Drug Use and Health

The Pennsylvania Youth Survey is conducted every two years, and assesses secondary school students' behavior, attitudes and knowledge concerning alcohol, tobacco, drugs and violence.

• 2005 Lancaster County PAYS
• 2003 Lancaster County PAYS

4. Consequences
The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) records hospital emergency room admissions for drug problems and drug related deaths from medical examiners' reports. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation regularly releases reports which are a rich resource for journalists.

• Drug Abuse Warning Network
• RWJF: Addiction Treatment & Prevention Newsroom

• Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment


• Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
• Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator

• Prevention of Drug Abuse Among Children and Adolescents
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
• National Registry of Effective Programs
• National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
• National Families in Action

• Substance Abuse Policy Research Program

Websites and Web Resources for Journalists

Addiction Studies Program for Journalists: Sponsored by Wake Forest University School of Medicine and National Families in Action.

American Medical Association, Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse: Includes AMA policies on alcohol, research, facts and links to related stories and resources.

Center for Science in the Public Interest Alcohol Policies Project : Site contains press releases, news summaries and fact sheets on alcohol policies, liquor advertising, college drinking and related health issues, plus a list of online publications on alcohol policy and promotions and college drinking.

College Drinking / Changing the Culture: Developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, this site offers information for changing the drinking culture on college campuses to a number of different audiences: campus health administrators, college presidents, community leaders, guidance counselors, media, parents, RAs, peer educators, and students.

Drug Story: An informational resource for entertainment writers and feature journalists, sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Contains headlines, drug statistics and contact info for experts in drug-related fields.

Harvard School of Public Health: An ongoing survey of over 14,000 students at 120 four-year colleges in 40 states. The CAS website examines key issues in college alcohol abuse and provides a continuing look at other high risk behaviors among college students including tobacco and illicit drug use, unsafe sex and violence.

The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention: Provides nationwide support for campus alcohol and other drug prevention efforts. Contains links to publications, research, data and information on current prevention practices.

Join Together Online: Contains information on substance abuse and gun violence issues, including the latest news and research; a community action guide; lists of other resources; and a national calendar of events.

Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems: Includes "alcohol Industry and Policy Database" of references to news stories and journal articles on the beverage industry, alcohol policy and prevention efforts, as well as links to beverage industry websites and publications on alcohol policy, the beverage industry and media advocacy.

Medline Plus Alcoholism News: Operated by the U.S National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

Medline Plus Drug Abuse News: Operated by the U.S National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

Monitoring the Future: An informational resource for entertainment writers and feature journalists, sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Contains headlines, drug statistics and contact info for experts in drug-related fields.

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug Information Newsroom: Operated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

National Criminal Justice Reference Service: A federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Research databases related to alcohol abuse and alcoholism are linked to the website, allowing extensive searches of publications related to alcohol use. Also available are an event calendar, a graphics gallery and publications in both English and Spanish.

NIDA Newsroom: Operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Office of National Drug Control Policy: Statistics, policy statements, news and research from agency that establishes policies, priorities, and objectives for the nation's drug control program.

Substance Abuse Newsroom: News is primarily focused on Southern California, but news of national interest is also reported.