Drug Facts
The documents below were created by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a division of the National Institute of Health. Click on the title to go to the article. Many of the articles are available as PDFs and also in Spanish
DrugFacts—Anabolic Steroids
Revised March 2016.
Provides basic information about anabolic-androgenic steroids, such as how it is abused, its effects on the brain and mental health, and its addictive potential.
DrugFacts—Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products
Revised January 2018.
Provides an overview of the effects of cigarette and other tobacco products, including their effect on the brain, other health effects, approaches to smoking or nicotine cessation, and overall use among youth.
DrugFacts—Cocaine
Revised June 2016.
Provides basic facts about cocaine, including how it affects the brain, other health consequences of its use, and treatment options for people addicted to the drug.
DrugFacts—Comorbidity: Addiction and Other Mental Disorders
Revised March 2011.
Offers basic facts about comorbidity between drug use disorders and other mental illnesses, including why these disorders can co-occur, how common they are, and how they are diagnosed and treated.
DrugFacts—Drug Use and Viral Infections (HIV, Hepatitis)
Revised March 2017.
Discusses how people who engage in drug use or high-risk behaviors associated with drug use put themselves at risk for contracting or transmitting viral infections such as HIV/AIDS or hepatitis.
DrugFacts—Drug-Related Hospital Emergency Room Visits
Revised May 2011.
Provides national estimates on drug-related visits to hospital emergency departments and makes comparisons with previous years’ data. Discusses illicit drugs, alcohol and other drugs, and prescription drugs.
DrugFacts—Drugged Driving
Revised June 2016.
Provides basic facts about drugged driving, including statistics, trends, and teen prevalence, and explains why drugged driving is hazardous, particularly as it relates to marijuana.
DrugFacts—Electronic Cigarettes (E-cigarettes)
Revised March 2018.
A plain-language research summary that describes how e-cigarettes work, how safe they are compared to traditional cigarettes, and if they can help with smoking cessation.
DrugFacts—Fentanyl
Published June 2016. Revised June 2016.
Offers basic facts about the synthetic opioid Fentanyl including how it is abused, its affect on the brain, and other health effects.
DrugFacts—Genetics and Epigenetics of Addiction
Revised February 2016.
Explores the role of genetics and epigenetics in the development and treatment of drug abuse and addiction.
DrugFacts—Hallucinogens
Revised January 2016.
Provides basic facts about various hallucinogens, including how they are abused, how they affect the brain, and other health effects.
DrugFacts—Heroin
Revised January 2018.
A plain-language research summary about heroin, including basic facts such as methods of use, its effects on the brain, other health effects, and treatment options.
DrugFacts—Inhalants
Revised February 2017.
Provides an overview of inhalants, including types of products commonly inhaled, effects on the brain, other adverse health effects, and potential for addiction.
DrugFacts—Kratom
Published February 2016.
Provides basic information about kratom, including methods of abuse, effects on the brain, and addiction potential.
DrugFacts—Lessons from Prevention Research
Revised March 2014.
Describes principles important to consider when developing drug abuse prevention programs and discusses issues relevant for family, school, and community settings.
DrugFacts—Marijuana
Revised February 2018.
A plain-language research summary about marijuana, including how people use it, its effects on the brain and overall health, and treatment options.
DrugFacts—Marijuana as Medicine
Revised April 2017.
Offers facts about marijuana as a legal medical treatment and about potential and approved treatments using chemicals derived from marijuana (cannabinoids).
DrugFacts—MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly)
Revised October 2016.
Provides basic facts about MDMA, also called Ecstasy or Molly, including how it affects the brain, other health effects, and its potential for addiction.
DrugFacts—Methamphetamine
Revised February 2017.
Provides facts about the stimulant drug methamphetamine, including how it affects the brain, other adverse health effects, and secondhand methamphetamine smoke.
DrugFacts—Monitoring the Future Survey: High School and Youth Trends
Revised December 2017.
Describes high school and youth trends for drug use and addiction, as presented in the annual Monitoring the Future survey. Includes emphasis on marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol, and prescription drugs.
DrugFacts—Nationwide Trends
Revised June 2015.
Describes nationwide trends in drug abuse and addiction, focusing on past-month use for illicit drugs (including marijuana and prescription drugs), alcohol, and tobacco.
DrugFacts—Over-the-Counter Medicines
Revised December 2017.
A plain-language research summary that describes how popular over-the-counter medications are misused and provides information on why this can be dangerous.
DrugFacts—Prescription CNS Depressants
Published March 2018.
A plain language research summary of CNS depressants, how they can be misused, and how they affect the brain.
DrugFacts—Prescription Opioids
Published January 2018.
A plain language summary of prescription opioids that explains effects on the brain and reported use.
DrugFacts—Prescription Stimulants
Published February 2018.
A plain language summary of prescription stimulant medications, how they affect the body, and how addiction can be treated.
DrugFacts—Substance Abuse in the Military
Published March 2013.
Offers an overview of trends of drug use in the military and the special risks faced by this population. In Spanish
DrugFacts—Substance Use in Women
Published September 2015. Revised April 2017.
Provides a summary of key points related to women and substance use, including sex and gender differences in substance use and addiction treatment, and how substance use affects a mother and her baby. In Spanish
DrugFacts—Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice)
Revised February 2018.
A plain language summary of synthetic cannabinoids, how they are used, and how they affect the brain and body. In Spanish
DrugFacts—Synthetic Cathinones ("Bath Salts")
Revised February 2018.
A plain language summary of synthetic cathinones and their health effects.In Spanish
DrugFacts—Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction
Revised January 2018.
A plain language summary of the behavioral therapies, medications, and devices that can be used to treat substance use disorders. In Spanish
DrugFacts—Understanding Drug Use and Addiction
Revised August 2016.
Provides an overview of drug use and addiction, including what happens in the brain during drug use, why some people become addicted while others don’t, and the importance of prevention. In Spanish
