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The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse by Christine A. Adamec, Esther, Gwinnell

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The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse Christine A. Adamec, Esther, Gwinnell
Language: English
Page: 417
Format: pdf
ISBN: 0816063303, 9780816063307
Publisher: Facts on File

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Drug and alcohol abuse are not confined by borders but trouble all nations, from tiny Luxembourg (second in the world for per capita alcohol consumption) to large industrialized countries like the U.S. The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse provides detailed information on the medical, social, epidemiological, and policy facets of substance abuse. Authored by the same psychiatrist and medical writer who teamed up for Facts On File’s Encyclopedia of Addictions and Addictive Behavior (2006), this new volume incorporates approximately 200 entries covering various types of drugs, the causes and consequences of abuse, prevention efforts, drug abuse within particular countries or groups, and more. Some entries, such as Marijuana and Prescription drug abuse, run several pages in length. The volume also includes 16 appendixes that augment the main A–Z section with resource lists (e.g., contact information for substance-abuse offices or mental-health agencies); data (e.g., the “Table of Scheduled Drugs”); and, of course, a bibliography. The facts and analyses found in the encyclopedia are somber reminders of the terrible burden that substance abuse places on the individual and on society. For example, the eight-page entry on Methamphetamine tells us that in 2005, use of this highly addictive and deadly drug was evident among 4.1 percent of tenth-graders and 4.5 percent of twelfth-graders. We also learn that with continued use, these young abusers are at risk for kidney failure, lung damage, and liver disease, among other effects. Statistics in appendix 6 indicate that hospital admissions for methamphetamine abuse doubled in the five years between 1998 and 2003. The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse is a very good and informative reference. Perhaps one suggestion for future editions is to include more information on the economic costs of substance abuse. Recommended for public and academic libraries. --Lilian Hoffecker