. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES C iounsei Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2111 (301) 496-6043 Fax (301) 402-1034 May 12, 2014 VIA EMAIL ONLY Addiction Myth info@addictionmyth.com RE: “A Conversation with Addiction Guru Aaron White, PhD” and “Cease and Desist!” Dear Sir or Madam: We recently became aware of two items that you posted on your website directed to two employees of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (“NIAAA”J--one which purports to be an interview with NIAAA Project Manager Dr. Aaron White, and the other a letter from NIAAA Director Dr. George Koob. Of course Dr. White did not in fact participate in the interview and Dr. Koob did not write the letter attributed to him. We are concerned that, especially with respect to the mock interview, the public could be deceived and misled into believing that Dr. White in fact contributed to the interview. Those items are defamatory, and expose you to potential liability. We therefore request that you either remove the articles from your website, or provide a prominent disclaimer indicating that Dr. White and Dr. Koob did not participate in the interview or write the letter. Let me know if you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss the matter further. Sincerely, ale D. Berkley, Ph.D., J.D. Senior Attorney