A Handbook on Drug and Alcohol Abuse: The Biomedical Aspects

By James H. Woods, Frederick G. Hofmann, Gail Winger, et al.

Book Overview

This comprehensive text on the pharmacological, medical, and legal aspects of drug abuse has been thoroughly updated for the Fourth Edition, and a new chapter on club drugs added. The chapter on medical effects was completely rewritten to focus on infections that develop in i.v. drug abusers, and information on the international regulation of drug use was added to the chapter on drug abuse and the law. The book is written at a level appropriate for upper level undergraduate students, graduate or medical students, and drug counselors. All major drugs of abuse are covered: tobacco, opioids, central stimulants (including cocaine, amphetamine, and caffeine), alcohol and other sedatives, marijuana, club drugs (MDMA, GHB, and ketamine), hallucinogens, and volatile solvents. For each type the authors discuss history and culture, the characteristic patterns of use, subjective and physiological effects, mechanisms of pharmacological action, and toxic effects. Epidemiological aspects are discussed as well as pharmacological treatment possibilities where applicable.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195172795
• ISBN13: 9780195172799
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A must have for clinicians

This is absolutely necessary for anyone who works in clinical or research settings regarding drugs of abuse. The biological explanations of drug action are written for entry level understanding of neuroscience; indeed, the entire text is very accessible and friendly. Some of the groupings of the drugs seem strange (e.g., including ketamine with the club drugs), but this is bound to happen-the drugs abused today are difficult to classify sometimes! A great read-a true must have.