2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse Began on May 13th in NCKU
Tainan, Taiwan, May 7th, 2010
The 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse, organized by National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and National Chung Cheng University, began on May 13th in Cheng-Hsing Hall, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, and attracted more than 300 participants.
In the past decade, the NCKU College of Medicine has made some progress in substance abuse research and treatment. National Chung Cheng University has also completed many studies on substance abuse-related crimes. This year, National Cheng Kung University and National Chung Cheng University has collaborated in hosting the 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse. The goal of this symposium is to provide a forum for international researchers and practitioners to share their state of the art studies and findings along with the discussion of their visions, methodology in research, prevention and treatment of substance abuse.
On behalf of National Cheng Kung University, President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai expressed his sincere gratitude towards national and international scholars who have come to attend the symposium.
President Lai said, “National Cheng Kung University is very proud to host the 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse. Substance abuse is a national and historical problem in Taiwan for many generations. Substance abuse research is actually one of the very first modern medical research topics ever conducted in Taiwan’s medical schools. It took many years of efforts to clean up the problems of drug addiction or substance abuse in Taiwan. Although the problems seemed to have disappeared on the surface, they have not gone away. Drug addiction or substance abuse is not merely a medical problem, a psychiatric problem, or psychological problem, but also a social problem and political problem as well. Therefore, it requires academia and government agencies to work together to solve the problems. We need better treatment and education to tackle the problems. National Cheng Kung University is actively cooperating with National Chung Cheng University to combine efforts in medical, social and political research to study these issues together.”
Dr. Ing-Kan Ho, Vice President of National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan, pointed out, “I’m glad to see that National Cheng Kung University and National Chung Cheng University are taking the efforts to organize research in drug addiction. I want to thank both universities in collaboration with National Health Research Institutes. We hope we can get this going. On behalf of National Health Research Institutes, I wish success to this international symposium.”
Dr. Barry Hoffer, Director of Intramural Research Program National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S.A., stated, “Relapse to addictive drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, is a major problem in addiction treatment. It can reach up to 80%. Even after long periods of abstinence, addicts report strong cravings triggered by drug exposure, drug-associated cues and stress. That is when you see somebody using drugs or even pass by the street corner where you used to buy drugs, there’s a very strong feeling of needing to use the drug again. In the human condition we call that craving. Therefore, craving is a psychological feeing in an addict of needing to use the drug. For example, when addicts who have been abstained for five, ten, even twenty years see drugs or drug equipments, they report feelings of craving. The real problem is not to stop somebody from using drugs, but to prevent them from starting again after a period of time.”
Dr. Ru-Band Lu, an expert in the field of psychiatry and a professor from the Institute of Behavioral Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, revealed, “Opiate drugs such as morphine, meperidine, etc. are the most effective analgesic drugs used in the treatment of severe and chronic pain clinically. However, the side effects induced by chronic use of these drugs such as tolerance, physical dependence and addiction have restricted their clinical use. NCKU medical team has discovered that the newest treatment drugs and therapies, such as small dose of dextromethorphan (an antitussive drug), can effectively reduce the usage amount of morphine and methadone and the toxicity they have on human brain and body. This research achievement has recently applied for United States patent.”
The 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse provides a forum for doctors, researchers and scientists to discuss problems, prevention and new treatments. The topics of interest include new knowledge of neuro-science and neuro-mechanism of substance abuse, law enforcements that can reduce problems of substance abuse and addiction, innovative strategies for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, proper methods of effective dissemination and use of research results to significantly improve prevention, treatment and policy, as well as public awareness and policy.
The keynote and invited speakers are Dr. Barry Hoffer, Director of Intramural Research Program National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S.A., Dr. Jih-Heng Li, Dean of College of Pharmacy at Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, Dr. Tsung-Ping Su, Professor of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), U.S.A., Dr. Jau-Shyong Hong, Professor and Head of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), U.S.A., Dr. Yun Wang, Section Chief of Neural Protection and Regeneration Section, U.S.A., Dr. Pao-Luh Tao, Professor of Department of Pharmacology at National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan, Dr. Wei Hao, Professor of Central South University, China, Dr. Kuei-Sen Hsu, Distinguished Professor of National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Chiao-Chicy Chen, Professor of Taipei City Psychiatry Center, Taiwan, Dr. Ru-Band Lu, Professor of Department of Psychiatry at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Lung Yu, Director of Institute of Behavioral Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Alan Tang, Professor of Department of Psychiatry at Hong Kong Chinese University, Dr. Chao-Ching Huang, Professor of Institute of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Ping-Yen Liu, Associate Professor of Department of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, and Dr. Ming-Chi Huang, Professor of Taipei City Psychiatry Center, Taiwan.
Currently, Taiwan is actively initiating the establishment of a National Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Center (NDARC). National Cheng Kung University is working in conjunction with the National Health Research Institute (NHRI) to accomplish this project. Starting this year, fundamental and clinical research studies have begun in laboratories and within substance abuse wards in hospitals. It is expected that the 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse will inspire greater research interest, introduce additional resources to this project and benefit Taiwan as a research platform of substance abuse in the world.
The 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse, organized by National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and National Chung Cheng University, began on May 13th in Cheng-Hsing Hall, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, and attracted more than 300 participants.
In the past decade, the NCKU College of Medicine has made some progress in substance abuse research and treatment. National Chung Cheng University has also completed many studies on substance abuse-related crimes. This year, National Cheng Kung University and National Chung Cheng University has collaborated in hosting the 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse. The goal of this symposium is to provide a forum for international researchers and practitioners to share their state of the art studies and findings along with the discussion of their visions, methodology in research, prevention and treatment of substance abuse.
On behalf of National Cheng Kung University, President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai expressed his sincere gratitude towards national and international scholars who have come to attend the symposium.
President Lai said, “National Cheng Kung University is very proud to host the 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse. Substance abuse is a national and historical problem in Taiwan for many generations. Substance abuse research is actually one of the very first modern medical research topics ever conducted in Taiwan’s medical schools. It took many years of efforts to clean up the problems of drug addiction or substance abuse in Taiwan. Although the problems seemed to have disappeared on the surface, they have not gone away. Drug addiction or substance abuse is not merely a medical problem, a psychiatric problem, or psychological problem, but also a social problem and political problem as well. Therefore, it requires academia and government agencies to work together to solve the problems. We need better treatment and education to tackle the problems. National Cheng Kung University is actively cooperating with National Chung Cheng University to combine efforts in medical, social and political research to study these issues together.”
Dr. Ing-Kan Ho, Vice President of National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan, pointed out, “I’m glad to see that National Cheng Kung University and National Chung Cheng University are taking the efforts to organize research in drug addiction. I want to thank both universities in collaboration with National Health Research Institutes. We hope we can get this going. On behalf of National Health Research Institutes, I wish success to this international symposium.”
Dr. Barry Hoffer, Director of Intramural Research Program National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S.A., stated, “Relapse to addictive drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, is a major problem in addiction treatment. It can reach up to 80%. Even after long periods of abstinence, addicts report strong cravings triggered by drug exposure, drug-associated cues and stress. That is when you see somebody using drugs or even pass by the street corner where you used to buy drugs, there’s a very strong feeling of needing to use the drug again. In the human condition we call that craving. Therefore, craving is a psychological feeing in an addict of needing to use the drug. For example, when addicts who have been abstained for five, ten, even twenty years see drugs or drug equipments, they report feelings of craving. The real problem is not to stop somebody from using drugs, but to prevent them from starting again after a period of time.”
Dr. Ru-Band Lu, an expert in the field of psychiatry and a professor from the Institute of Behavioral Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, revealed, “Opiate drugs such as morphine, meperidine, etc. are the most effective analgesic drugs used in the treatment of severe and chronic pain clinically. However, the side effects induced by chronic use of these drugs such as tolerance, physical dependence and addiction have restricted their clinical use. NCKU medical team has discovered that the newest treatment drugs and therapies, such as small dose of dextromethorphan (an antitussive drug), can effectively reduce the usage amount of morphine and methadone and the toxicity they have on human brain and body. This research achievement has recently applied for United States patent.”
The 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse provides a forum for doctors, researchers and scientists to discuss problems, prevention and new treatments. The topics of interest include new knowledge of neuro-science and neuro-mechanism of substance abuse, law enforcements that can reduce problems of substance abuse and addiction, innovative strategies for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, proper methods of effective dissemination and use of research results to significantly improve prevention, treatment and policy, as well as public awareness and policy.
The keynote and invited speakers are Dr. Barry Hoffer, Director of Intramural Research Program National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S.A., Dr. Jih-Heng Li, Dean of College of Pharmacy at Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, Dr. Tsung-Ping Su, Professor of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), U.S.A., Dr. Jau-Shyong Hong, Professor and Head of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), U.S.A., Dr. Yun Wang, Section Chief of Neural Protection and Regeneration Section, U.S.A., Dr. Pao-Luh Tao, Professor of Department of Pharmacology at National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan, Dr. Wei Hao, Professor of Central South University, China, Dr. Kuei-Sen Hsu, Distinguished Professor of National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Chiao-Chicy Chen, Professor of Taipei City Psychiatry Center, Taiwan, Dr. Ru-Band Lu, Professor of Department of Psychiatry at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Lung Yu, Director of Institute of Behavioral Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Alan Tang, Professor of Department of Psychiatry at Hong Kong Chinese University, Dr. Chao-Ching Huang, Professor of Institute of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Dr. Ping-Yen Liu, Associate Professor of Department of Medicine at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, and Dr. Ming-Chi Huang, Professor of Taipei City Psychiatry Center, Taiwan.
Currently, Taiwan is actively initiating the establishment of a National Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Center (NDARC). National Cheng Kung University is working in conjunction with the National Health Research Institute (NHRI) to accomplish this project. Starting this year, fundamental and clinical research studies have begun in laboratories and within substance abuse wards in hospitals. It is expected that the 2010 International Symposium in Substance Abuse will inspire greater research interest, introduce additional resources to this project and benefit Taiwan as a research platform of substance abuse in the world.
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