The Hindu : Oct 01, 2019, 10:11 AM
With today's doodle, Google is remembering Dr. Herbert David Kleber, who reframed the field of addiction treatment. He viewed addiction as a medical condition rather than a moral failure. Today is the 23rd anniversary of his election to be a member of the National Academy of Medicine.Born on June 19, 1934, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Kleber studied medicine at Dartmouth College, where he discovered that psychology was his calling.He spent years treating people with drug addiction and realised that the treatment needed a new approach backed by scientific research. His new methods of treatment gained appreciation and he was appointed as the deputy director for demand reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy by the then U.S. President George H. W. Bush.Dr. Kleber co-founded the National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse, and also established the Division on Substance Abuse at Columbia University where he headed many projects on developing new methods to treat individuals with alcohol, cocaine, heroin and alcohol addictions.He has authored more than 250 papers and various books on addiction treatment.The Doodle page also carries an interview with his widow Anne Burlock Lawver. “One way I see Herb’s visionary brilliance is through his ability for problem-solving, whether domestically or professionally. When everyone else was looking in one direction, Herb would (metaphorically) turn his head and his thinking to somewhere completely different — and come up with original, viable solutions,” she says. Dr. Kleber was a dog-lover and Ms. Lawver adds that he adored his Maltipoo, Sparky. Dr. Kleber died on October 5, 2018.Google is also celebrating today Nigeria Independence Day. Visible in Czechia and Greece is another doodle celebrating Grandparents' Day.