Drug Abuse Sourcebook

Basic Consumer Health Information about the Abuse of Cocaine, Club Drugs, Hallucinogens, Heroin, Inhalants, Marijuana, and Other Illicit Substances, Prescription Medications, and Over-the-Counter Medicines; Along with Facts about Addiction and Related Health Effects, Drug Abuse Treatment and Recovery, Drug Testing, Prevention Programs, Glossaries of Drug-Related Terms, and Directories of Resources for More Information

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the costs of substance abuse and addiction in the United States-including health expenses and costs associated with crime-exceed half a trillion dollars annually. The consequences affect people at all ages, beginning even before birth when infants are sometimes exposed to drugs in the womb. Furthermore, substance abuse can play a roll in family disintegration, school failure, loss of employment, and other societal concerns. Although treatments for addiction are available, they are used by fewer than 11% of those in need of them, and while some prevention programs have proven successful, nearly 8,000 individuals use an illicit drug for the first time each day in the United States.

Drug Abuse Sourcebook, Third Edition provides updated information about the abuse of illegal substances and the misuse of over-the-counter and prescription medications. If offers facts about the most commonly abused drugs and discusses the causes and consequences of addiction. Drug abuse treatment options are described, and obstacles to recovery are explained. A section on drug abuse prevention discusses some of the strategies that have been successful in helping people avoid drug-related problems. The book concludes with glossaries of drug-related terms and directories of resources for additional help and information.