About The College

The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD), formerly the Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, has been in existence since 1929 and is the longest standing group in the United States addressing problems of drug dependence and abuse. From 1929 until 1976, the CPDD was associated with the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. Since 1976, the organization has functioned as an independent body affiliated with other scientific and professional societies representing various disciplines concerned with problems of drug dependence and abuse. In 1991, the CPDD evolved into a membership organization with the new name of College on Problems of Drug Dependence.CPDD serves as an interface among governmental, industrial and academic communities maintaining liaisons with regulatory and research agencies as well as educational, treatment, and prevention facilities in the drug abuse field. It also functions as a collaborating center of the World Health Organization.

The Annual Scientific Meeting: Since 1938, a major focus of the CPDD's activities has been its sponsorship of an annual scientific meeting. This conference serves as a forum bringing together basic scientists and clinical investigators from industry, academia, and government. Representatives of regulatory agencies, as well as scientists and professionals in a number of diverse disciplines interested in the biochemical, behavioral, and public health aspects of drug dependence participate. The proceedings of each meeting are published in an archival form.

Testing Facilities.pdf: The College provides support for research and for drug dependence testing in animals in facilities at the University of Michigan, the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the University of Mississippi. These laboratories receive their major support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. More recently, the College has been involved in the development of more broadly based methodologies for the testing of drug abuse liability and dependence potential in both animals and humans.

Drug Assessment Activities.pdf: The drug assessment activities supported by the CPDD provide information to national and international government agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and the public to assist in evaluating the dependence potential and/or abuse liability of new drugs. Many of the compounds evaluated by CPDD-supported programs are drugs with current or potential clinical utility. Knowledge of the dependence potential and/or abuse liability of a drug proposed for marketing is of importance with respect to regulatory requirements within the United States and internationally. Also tested are street drugs and compounds submitted for research purposes.

Consultation Activities: The CPDD provides consulting expertise in the area of epidemiology, treatment, prevention, and all the basic and clinical sciences related to drug dependence, drug abuse, and their behavioral and medical consequences.

Sponsorship of Drug & Alcohol Dependence: The CPDD sponsors the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. A principal goal of the journal is to provide a source of quality, timely reports of scientific advances in substance abuse research. The journal is international in scope and interdisciplinary in coverage. The CPDD invites contributors.

Scientific & Professional Affiliations: The College on Problems of Drug Dependence has a liaison relationship with numerous scientific, professional, and governmental organizations.