The International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) is dedicated to providing a supportive academic network to members of the international addiction medicine field. We accomplish this via electronic communication, development of consensual position papers on issues relevant to the field, research in all areas relating to drug addiction and associated co-morbidity including infections such as HIV, and annual conferences to disseminate information on advances in the field by colleagues worldwide, with a priority on providing opportunities for practitioners from countries with relatively few resources to participate/present. We have also established a process of International Certification in Addiction Medicine. ISAM has thus been working since 1999 to promote better understanding worldwide, among physicians and allied health professionals in the field of addiction medicine, of connections among drug abuse, psychological/psychiatric consequences, and disease processes including HIV and other blood- borne pathogens. One significant outcome of this collaboration has been the recognition that there are ?global? factors in substance abuse, associated with medical/psychiatric/social consequences regardless of race, gender, culture, or ethnicity. We organize/present conferences in a country where the assistance from clinicians from around the world would help the local clinical addiction medicine experts in setting up the necessary addiction/clinical medicine services. Our goal, to build a strong, united, informed medical voice in collaboration with other disciplines to speak on behalf of patients in prevention and management of addictions worldwide, has been significantly supported by our annual conferences with fiscal and advisory assistance provided by NIH/NIDA Conference Grants (2006; 2007-2010; 2011-2015). Funds are being sought through this renewal application to support annual meetings 2016-2020 to be held in different countries. Currently the Yokohama, Japan, 2014 conference has just concluded. The venues for the subsequent Annual Conferences will be in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom (2015), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2016), Abu Dhabi, UAE (2017) and Busan, Korea (2018). (2019-20 venues are to be determined, but tentatively will be in Izmir, Turkey, 2019, and either in Beijing, China or in Bangalore, India 2020). While the organization and our conference have evolved significantly with NIDA?s assistance, we plan to retain unique elements of the future conferences that will help set ?characters.? Those include: 1) integrated academic/recreational offerings, 2) formalized opportunities for open discussion/exchange concluding program sessions, 3) inclusion of conference program content to present new/emerging science of addiction and associated morbidity including infections such as HIV, HCV and others,4) systematically varying global geographic sites of conferences, promoting local attendance/regional access, and 5) dedication to support/mentorship for collegial development of young/economically under- resourced members of the worldwide addiction medicine community. The organization has benefited significantly from not only the financial and consultative support afforded by the previous conference grant, but by the significant expertise, time, and thought of many members of the NIDA executive staff who have honored us by accepting invitations to speak at past meetings. We look forward to continuing that association, which has provided most meaningful additions to our proceedings as well as important inspiration to younger scientists/addiction medicine practitioners for whom the organization desires to provide an atmosphere of mentorship and collegiality. Thus continuing such support is of very high priority to ISAM as an organization. Principal Investigator Contact: Dr. Gregory C. Bunt Senior Vice-President/Medical Daytop Village, Inc. 54 West 40th St., 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10018 Tel: (212) 354-6000, ext. 220 Fax: (212) 391-9265 Email: gbunt@daytop.org ISAM Head Office Contact Dr. Nady el-Guebaly Chief Examiner, ISAM FMC Addiction Centre 1403 ? 29 Street NW Calgary AB T2N 2T9 Tel: (403) 944-2025 Fax: (403) 944-2056 Email: nady.el-guebaly@calgaryhealthregion.ca
/Significance The primary goal of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) is to organize/present annual conferences disseminating/sharing the most current research on addiction medicine in countries with relatively few resources, thereby helping the local clinical addiction medicine experts in setting up the necessary addiction/clinical medicine services and research.
