NCJ Number
180995
Date Published
1996
Length
509 pages
Annotation
This book addresses drugs and drug use today from several perspectives -- the psychological, pharmacological, historical, and legal -- while examining the effects of drug use on the user's health and social functioning.
Abstract
Section One contains four chapters that pertain to drug use in modern society. An overview of drug use is followed by a discussion of drug use as a social problem. One chapter focuses on the theory and treatment of addictions, and the fourth chapter examines the use and effects of drug regulations. Section Two has two chapters that explain how drugs work. One chapter addresses the impact of drugs on the nervous system, and the second chapter discusses the actions of drugs. Section Three has three chapters on drugs classified as "uppers and downers." These include stimulants, depressants and inhalants, and drugs for mental illness. Section Four contains two chapters that deal exclusively with alcohol. One chapter discusses the effects of alcohol in the body and how alcohol use and abuse affects society. Section Five has three chapters that focus on nicotine, caffeine, and over-the-counter drugs. Section Six contains four chapters on the following restricted drugs: opiates, hallucinogens, marijuana and hashish, and steroids and other drugs in sports. Section Seven is a chapter on how to reduce the demand for these drugs that harm the human body and its functioning and thus become a problem for society. Appendixes, a glossary, a subject index, and chapter summaries and references