Drug Use: A Reference Handbook

by Richard Isralowitz

Overview

A balanced and straightforward survey of the key issues, facts, and controversies surrounding the use and abuse of harmful drugs in the United States and abroad.

Drug Use: A Reference Handbook presents a vast collection of facts and information about the major issues that drive the world's never-ending drug problem. An examination of five substances—tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, heroin, and cocaine—presents eye-opening facts about their relationship to politics, policies, big business, and war.

Historical overviews and descriptions of the makeup and effects of each drug—such as the derivation of heroin from the opium poppy—segue into an analysis of the risk factors, patterns, and controversies regarding their use. Biographies profile key players related to the substance-use problem, and reports on drug use in the United States and selected countries are viewed from a worldwide perspective, offering a thought-provoking exploration of drug use, its problems, and policies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576077085
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/14/2004
Series:	Contemporary World Issues
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Richard Isralowitz, PhD, is a professor in the Spitzer Department of Social Work at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva' Israel. His drug prevention and research efforts have affiliated him with the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Editorial Reviews

A great resource for students researching drug use in the U.S. . . . A strength of the volume is its documented statistics and excerpts from books, jourbanals, and newsletter articles, and commission reports, many of which include websites. . . . A thorough table of contents, glossary, appendix of drug categories and street terms, and index ease access to the information while the excellent documentation and bibliography will lead readers to additional resources. This handbook will be in demand.” —School Library Jourbanal

From the Publisher

Gr 9 Up-A great resource for students researching drug use in the U.S. The authoritative, unbiased text defines 11 types of drugs from alcohol to sedatives and describes their risk factors and prevention and treatment. U.S. drug policy is considered with particular attention paid to its effectiveness and "impact and cost to society and people." Illicit-drug use and its connection to terrorism is discussed. A strength of the volume is its documented statistics and the excerpts from books, journal and newsletter articles, and commission reports, many of which include Web sites. The chronology lists significant events, legal decisions, and international agreements that have had an impact on the U.S. and the policies adopted from 1875 through 2003. The 15 biographical sketches include well-known figures such as Richard M. Nixon, Benjamin Rush, Sigmund Freud, and Timothy Leary, as well as lesser-known individuals. A thorough table of contents, glossary, appendix of drug categories and street terms, and index ease access to the information while the excellent documentation and bibliography will lead readers to additional resources. This handbook will be in demand.-Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal