History: Since 1985, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Section has played an active role in the scientific program at the APHA annual meetings and in supporting policy development for APHA and at the state and community levels. Members of the ATOD Section include researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students, and other professionals addressing critical issues related to substance use.
Learn more about issues of substance misuse.
Our Work
Mission: The Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Section develops and advocates for rigorous and equitable research, policy and practice related to alcohol, tobacco, opioids, cannabis and other substances and focused on epidemiology, prevention, treatment, and recovery. We strive to work across substances and areas of focus to communicate and collaborate on improving the health of individuals and our communities.
We bring our members together to work on the following priorities:
- Develop, foster and advocate for sound research, policy and practice in the fields of ATOD epidemiology, prevention and treatment.
- Enhance communication concerning ATOD issues among the Section members and the Section leadership, APHA members and the wider community.
Member Benefits
As a member of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Section, you can help grow our legacy in public health practice! We offer many opportunities to get involved, such as joining Section leadership, reviewing abstracts and presenting your research at the APHA Annual Meeting.
We invite you to get more deeply involved with the Section through one of our five committees:
- Policy: Take the lead on addressing emerging policy issues in statements and briefs.
- Membership: Connect members to resources and create networking opportunities.
- Budget/Fundraising: Help manage ATOD finances, allowing us to do the great work we do.
- Communication: Create and distribute alerts and other ATOD communications.
- Program: Help produce ATOD sessions for the Annual Meeting.
Join Us!
Your participation is vital to our continued success. Become an active member of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Section when you join APHA. If you are already an APHA member, you can join as your second Section for no additional cost by updating your member profile.
Attend Events
Check out the APHA calendar for upcoming Section events and browse our sessions at the 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo.
Visit on APHA LEAD
Members can visit us on APHA LEAD to learn about upcoming events, join in discussions with other Section members, and access our Section’s resource library.
Contribute
Support our efforts by making a donation.