Professor Samuel B. Bacharach, director of the R. Brinkley Smithers Institute for Alcohol-Related Workplace Studies at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, will appear in an HBO series, "Addiction," premiering March 15 at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Bacharach and the work of the Smithers Institute will be highlighted in the first program of the 14-part series.

HBO approached the Smithers Institute regarding the project on alcohol and the workplace. Since the Smithers Institute has a long-standing relationship with the Steamfitters Local Union 638 in New York City, Bacharach suggested that Donald Perks, who heads the Steamfitters Industry Assistance Program, would be a good subject for the workplace segment.

HBO asked Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple to explore the crucial role that member assistance programs (MAP) play in addressing alcohol and drug addiction. In this instance, the MAP of the "Steamfitters Local Union 638" -- the title of the first show of the series -- illustrates the importance of the workplace in helping to manage addiction issues.

The work of the Smithers Institute on workplace issues also appears on the HBO-produced Web site and in the companion volume, also called "Addiction."

The Addiction Project is produced by HBO in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.