The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) would become the National Institute on Diseases of Addiction, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) would be renamed the National Institute on Alcohol Disorders and Health under legislation introduced into Congress by Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America reported April 5 that Biden's bill, S-1011, is intended to reduce the stigma associated with addiction by removing the "abuse" monikers from the two agencies.

"Addiction is a neurobiological disease -- not a lifestyle choice -- and it's about time we start treating it as such," said Biden. "We must lead by example and change the names of our federal research institutes to accurately reflect this reality. By changing the way we talk about addiction, we change the way people think about addiction, both of which are critical steps in getting past the social stigma too often associated with the disease."

The name change also would more clearly link the concepts of addiction and disease, according to Biden. The reference to alcohol "disorders" in the NIAAA name would reflect the consensus among researchers that there is a continuum of disorders involving alcohol misuse, including excessive use and alcohol dependence.

"This bill is a small but important step towards stripping away the social stigma surrounding the treatment of diseases of addiction," Biden said.