International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR)

What Role Will New Technologies Play in Addiction Science?

By Cary Hopkins Eyles, MA, CAP; Deputy Director, ICUDDR

March 2021

Recently one of our leaders in Southeast Asia asked me if I was on Clubhouse. I had no idea what that was. After some research I found that it is an iPhone app where chats in different rooms take place in real time and at all hours. It is a voice-only platform that has been described as having intimate conference calls with potentially thousands of people from all around the world.

Clubhouse has been around less than a year and while they haven’t disclosed how many people use the app, it has been downloaded more than 8 million times worldwide. Users compare it to attending a virtual conference.

What is the future of technology and how does it relate to our work in substance use disorders? We know there are some excellent apps available for people in recovery (https://www.rehabs.com/smartphone-apps-for-recovery/) and that many people are utilizing telemedicine for substance use disorders during the pandemic (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33276843/) but what impact can technology have on addiction science education, research, networking, University-community outreach, and advocacy? We will address this at our conference July 20-21, 2021; see more information on our 2021 Conference page.

Dr. Prapapun Chucharoen of the Asian-Pacific region of ICUDDR is starting a room in Clubhouse to discuss the mission of the organization. If you are on Clubhouse or have access, you are welcome to find her and join the conversation.

Technology changes so quickly as evidenced by the relatively young age of this app and its impact already. It is difficult to predict where technology will take us and how it will touch our field but ICUDDR will try to keep abreast of changes and educate our members on what we learn.

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The International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR) supports the rapid improvement in competencies and skills among current and future generations of addiction professionals to meet the increasing demand for prevention, treatment and public health services. Toward this end, the ICUDDR facilitates networking among universities to promote high quality education and training in the field of addiction prevention, treatment and public health interventions. It also pursues related applied addictions research, outreach and advocacy.

ICUDDR is funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). INL works to keep Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.