NIH Proposes a New Institute

graphics from http://nih.gov/

NIH released today a new Request for Information (RFI): Input into the Scientific Strategic Plan for the proposed National Institute of Substance Use and Addiction Disorders. Based on  Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB) recommendation from Dec 2010 (well, the NIH bureaucracy definitely is a problem...) NIH proposes a new Institute, which will replace and expand two other units: the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). They key information here is that finally NIH reorganizes its structure to potentially increase productivity and reduce costs of redundant administration. 

What we don’t know yet is the Strategic Scientific Plan, probably the most crucial document for the new Institute, which will frame it’s scientific goals and directions of development including not only research but also public health needs. 

In the context of emerging problems like widespread abuse of prescription drugs as well as completely futile and irrational “war on drugs” it will be very interesting to see, which directions of drug policy NIH will support.

(Ir)rational approaches to decision-making...

I've recently attended a seminar where a highly enthusiastic young pediatrician was trying to convince the public that her research on environmental disruptors of the endocrine system during prenatal development is (1) interesting and important, and (2) can contribute to shaping policy in terms of child safety products regulations. What she is trying to figure out is whether certain types of chemicals, phtalens, which can be found in plastic products such as kitchen utensils and toys, as well as in foods rich in fat (cheeses, red meat), can cause developmental abnormalities in the reproductive system of boys. The reason to study this, according to her words, is to ask the question whether pregnant women should be advised to avoid such products and to eventually introduce regulations that will ban/set restrictions on phtalens content in products which are considered as safe for soon-to-be-born children and babies. At first sight, the idea does not seem unreasonable, but doubts start to rise when we pay more attention to the problem. Despite the concerns of methodological nature which I will not talk about, I don't see much sense in pursuing such studies. Let me explain why.