Abstract
A renewed agenda for nursing practice and addictions is urgently needed. Examination of the content of lead articles in The Canadian Nurse from 1953 to 2003 provides a representation of printed professional nursing information related to addictions across Canada over the past 50 years. Many themes emerged in early articles that are consistent with themes in addictions nursing today, including the broad scope of the issue, evolution of theories of addiction, a continued need for education and research, and the equal need for both health promotion and treatment. Nurses are encouraged to renew their commitment to incorporating knowledge of addiction into their practice. Recommendations for education, research, practice, policy, and social action are identified.