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Brian Vastag

JAMA. 2001;285:1141-1143.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Bethesda, Md—Since Alan I. Leshner, PhD, took the helm of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 1994, the agency's annual budget has nearly doubled, to $781 million, supporting much of the world's research on the biology of addiction, genetic and environmental risk factors, and addiction prevention and treatment.

Of the two dozen institutes that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIDA is in a unique position. Addiction is, arguably, more politicized than any other medical issue, putting Leshner and his views under a spotlight. He is quoted almost weekly in major newspaper and magazine articles as the authority on the subject. Such visibility comes with a price, though, as Leshner has been attacked on all fronts—for being both too soft and too harsh on drug issues.

Alan I. Leshner, PhD (Photo credit: National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Before joining NIDA, Leshner enjoyed a highly . . . [Full Text of this Article]