Click on the widget below to go to National Drug Facts Week Home page http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/. Tab through to "Share: Click here to highlight the code for this widget and paste it into your Web page." and to Click for more information which links to NDFW's home page, http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/, and NIDA"s home page, http://www.drugabuse.gov/nidahome.html.

Letter from the NIDA Director

NIDA's annual DRUG FACTS CHAT DAY is an extraordinary event that is a substantial learning opportunity for you and your students.

Each year, top scientists from the National Institute on Drug Abuse go live online to answer your questions about drugs and their impact on the teen brain and body. During DRUG FACTS CHAT DAY, students can ask some of our nation's experts about illicit drug use as well as abuse of prescription drugs, which is becoming a growing problem among our nation's teens.

DRUG FACTS CHAT DAY is an ideal project for students in science, health, language, computer use, or even gym classes - any place you have a computer lab. Or, students could gather around the teacher's computer and ask questions together. We are hoping that the anonymous nature of the Internet will encourage students to ask what is truly on their minds. What they will get in return are scientific facts, not lectures.

We ask that you register your class in advance and receive log in information. Then on Chat Day your students can log on to the event's Web site, post their questions, and wait for a response. While the overwhelming volume of questions means we cannot answer them all, we fill the screen with factoids and quizzes about drugs to make it a worthwhile event for your students. In addition, your students can check the transcript, posted about a week after the event, to see if their questions were answered later in the day. Help your students gain the knowledge required to make smart, healthy decisions.

I look forward to meeting with you online on our next DRUG FACTS CHAT DAY. Please see our Web site for registration information.

Sincerely,

Nora Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse