Google Doodle pays tribute to Dr Herbert Kleber

Marking the 23rd anniversary of Dr Herbert Kleber's election to the National Academy of Medicine, Google dedicated its doodle to him.

Dr Kleber was an American psychiatrist who researched on substance abuse. He dedicated more than 50 years of his life in studying the cause of substance abuse and developed treatments to reduce the effects of withdrawal.

In 1964, Kleber was assigned to volunteer a prison hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. In the hospital, thousands of inmates were being treated for addiction. During this time he noticed that the majority of patients would soon go back to addictions after release. Thus, he started to develop a new approach to treat drug addiction. He stressed the importance of research. This helped many patients to keep on the road to recovery and avoid relapse.

Dr Kleber viewed addiction as a medical treatment and not a moral failure unlike many before him.

Dr Kleber was appointed as the Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy after his success drew the attention of the President, George H.W. Bush.

Dr Kleber became the leader in reframing the field of substance abuse research and treatment as a medical discipline. He has also authored hundreds of articles, wrote important books, and mentored numerous other medical professionals in the field of addiction treatment. His treatments allowed patients to be diagnosed and treated rather than shamed, saving countless lives.