The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

Historical Highlights

Celebrating Our Legacy of Recovery -
60 Years of Leadership and Service

NCADD HISTORY

Since 1944, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence has been a leader in the effort to raise public awareness about alcoholism. As the oldest advocacy organization in the country addressing alcoholism and drug dependence, NCADD works at the national level on policy issues related to barriers in education, prevention and treatment for alcoholics and other drug dependent persons and their families. NCADD has a nationwide network of state and local affiliates uniquely positioned on the front lines to deliver intervention, research and treatment programs to their communities. Marty Mann (1904-1980) founded NCADD and dedicated her life to teaching the public that alcoholism is a preventable and treatable disease, not a moral failing. She articulated three fundamental organizational concepts that have informed the development of the modern alcoholism treatment movement: Alcoholism is a disease, and the alcoholic is a sick person; The alcoholic can be helped and is worth helping; This is a public health problem and a public responsibility. Marty received numerous awards for her pioneering work in the field of alcoholism treatment and was appointed in 1948 by the State Department to be a member of the official United States delegation to the International Congress on Alcoholism. She was also appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the first national advisory commission on alcoholism in 1965 and testified before Congress a number of times on issues related to alcoholism and treatment. She was living proof that alcoholics are capable of recovery and while it was noted that Alcoholics Anonymous ought not engage in public debate, Marty felt individuals in recovery had a responsibility to inform their fellow citizen's about the disease of alcoholism and the hope of recovery. Her impact on the field of alcoholism was felt right away, particularly in the area of increased access to hospital care for alcoholics: in 1944, fewer than 100 general hospitals accepted acute cases of alcoholism; by 1953 over 3,000 hospitals offered such care. Additionally, a 1957 Roper poll showed that 58% of the nation viewed alcoholism as a disease, compared to just six per cent in 1943, the year before NCADD was founded.

NCADD MISSION

In February 2000, the NCADD Board of Directors adopted this Mission Statement: The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

NCADD SERVES

Alcoholics and Their Families Children, Teenagers and Their Parents Government Policy Makers The Media The Medical Community Medical Researchers Public Health Professionals Educators Other National Health Organizations

NCADD ACHIEVEMENTS

1940s NCADD aroused public interest in alcoholism and formulated pioneering public education campaigns based on scientific information. NCADD engaged the medical profession in the treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics, casting alcoholism as a medical problem rather than a moral problem. NCADD established early contact with the national press, general public, business and municipal organizations, universities and medical associations to provide information and education about alcoholism. NCADD was featured in a 1945 March of Time film, “Problem Drinkers,” reaching millions of viewers across the United States. 1950s NCADD worked with leading industrial firms to develop programs addressing employee alcoholism that saved corporate America millions of dollars each year. NCADD established affiliate offices in Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia and worked with the World Health Organization planning itineraries for foreign professionals studying alcoholism in the United States and Canada. NCADD published Marty Mann’s landmark book, “Primer on Alcoholism,” written for the family, friends and employers of alcoholics. NCADD presented its first Gold Key Award to Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, recognizing AA’s contribution to the field of alcoholism. 1960s NCADD helped establish the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, the National Nurses Society on Addiction, and the Research Society on Alcoholism; the American Society of Addiction Medicine was once part of NCADD. NCADD created the preeminent reference library specializing in alcoholism and alcoholism programs in the United States, and helped establish teaching programs on alcoholism in lay and professional schools, such as Yale University, Columbia Teachers College, Boston University, University of Utah, University of Pennsylvania, and others. NCADD initiated Alcohol Information Week which was recognized by Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and continues to sponsor nationally-recognized Alcohol Awareness Month in April. 1970s NCADD campaigned for government recognition of alcoholism as a treatable disease, culminating in passage of the “Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act” that paved the way for the creation of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. NCADD developed the “Medical Criteria for Diagnosis of Alcoholism,” which was jointly published by the American Journal of Psychiatry and the Annals of Internal Medicine, setting professional standards for the diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism for the first time. NCADD produced the first radio and television ad campaigns to educate Americans about alcoholism and to prevent teenagers from drinking. NCADD contributed material and helped establish comprehensive alcoholism research collections at the libraries of Brown University and Syracuse University. NCADD sponsored Operation Understanding which brought together more than 50 well-known and widely respected figures to announce their recovery from alcoholism in Washington, DC during the nation's bicentennial celebration. Newsweek later called it one of the most important news stories of the ‘70s. 1980s NCADD initiated discussions with the U.S. Postal Service on the issuance of an alcoholism postal stamp to raise public awareness of the disease; the stamp was formally issued in 1981. NCADD changed its name, broadening its organizational focus to include Drug Dependence. NCADD succeeded in placing warning labels on all alcoholic beverage containers through its federal advocacy efforts. NCADD influenced legislation leading to the Minimum Legal Drinking Age. NCADD established the national HOPE Line (800/NCA-CALL) for information and referral in conjunction with “The Betty Ford Story” which aired on national network television; the toll-free service still receives more than 30,000 pleas for help each year. 1990s NCADD developed a comprehensive definition of alcoholism in conjunction with the American Society of Addiction Medicine that was widely acclaimed and published in a 1992 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. NCADD pioneered a family intervention network, provided by trained and certified NCADD Affiliates. NCADD originated a highly-effective prevention program to help parents talk to their children about alcohol use and created the video “What Should I Tell My Children About Drinking?” narrated by actress Meryl Streep. 2000s NCADD honored Senator Paul Wellstone and Representative Jim Ramstad for their sponsorship of legislation that would prohibit private health insurers who offer addiction treatment coverage from imposing discriminatory limits on these benefits. NCADD convened a series of Community Forums on Stigma and Discrimination to collect testimony and prepare public policy recommendations. NCADD joined with other advocacy organizations to oppose an NBC-TV proposal to air alcohol advertising on network television and to protest a major marketing campaign by an internationally known perfume distributor for a fragrance named “Addict.” Both efforts were successful.

NCADD NATIONAL OFFICE

Advises the legislative and executive branches of the federal government on alcohol and other drug policies Advocates for alcoholic and other drug dependent persons and their families Provides objective information to the public and the media Develops prevention and education initiatives with an emphasis on youth Coordinates a National Intervention Network (800-654-HOPE) to educate and assist the families and friends of addicted persons and operates the Hope Line (800-NCA-CALL), a toll-free information and referral service Participates in various coalitions, collaborates with the medical community and other non-profit organizations to achieve broader support for concerns about alcohol and other drugs Produces educational materials about alcoholism and dependence on other drugs Publishes the Washington Report, a monthly public policy newsletter, and the NCADD Amethyst, a quarterly, user-friendly information tool that also reports medical and scientific advances Maintains the Registry of Addiction Recovery (ROAR), a volunteer program that encourages Americans all over the country to speak openly about their experiences with addiction Operates an acclaimed website (www.ncadd.org) that now attracts over 65,000 visitors per month

NCADD AFFILIATES PROVIDE

Objective information and referral for individuals, families and others seeking intervention and treatment Community prevention and education programs Local media advocacy campaigns Resource Centers for literature and audio-visual materials Presentations to raise community awareness at schools, businesses and civic organizations Advocacy for alcoholics and other drug dependent persons and their families in local and state governments

SOURCES OF SUPPORT

NCADD, which does not accept funding from the alcoholic beverage or tobacco industries, relies on contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations for financial support.

MODEL PROGRAMS

Through its Affiliates, NCADD has long conducted successful programs to prevent and treat alcohol- and other drug-related problems in communities across America. These programs cover a broad range of services, including: job training and aftercare for parolees (New York, NY) preparing research-based alcohol curricula for college campuses (Lincoln, NE) providing assessment and referral services to the juvenile court system focused on underage drinking and drug use (Des Moines, IA) working with a broad range of women -- from teenagers to corporate employees to professionals working in the field of alcoholism and other drug addictions - to heighten awareness of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Long Beach, CA) reaching out to the elderly regarding drug interactions and addiction (Montclair, NJ) working with parents and schools to promote healthy parenting skills to limit the incidence of underage drinking (Buffalo, NY) developing educational curricula to raise public awareness of the advertising tactics used by tobacco and alcohol companies to lure young people (Montgomery, AL) designing programs to deal effectively with the problem of alcoholics without access to treatment (Danbury, CT) providing educational and support groups for children of addicted parents (Cincinnati, OH) presenting educational intervention programs for teenage drivers who are arrested for possession of alcohol (Grand Island, NE) working with the police department and local bars to prevent the proliferation of club drugs; creating mentoring programs for boys and girls (Santa Barbara, CA) providing family support groups for people seeking education and intervention for the effects of alcohol and drug dependencies (Northwest Florida)

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)