A Handbook on Drug and Alcohol Abuse: The Biomedical Aspects

by Gail Winger, James H. Woods, Frederick G. Hofmann the late

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199727407
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/03/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	708 KB

About the Author

University of Michigan

University of Michigan

Columbia University (Emeritus)

Table of Contents

1.	Introduction	1
	Some Definitions	2
	The Problem of Drug Abuse	6
	Patterns and Development of Drug Use	8
	Predictors of Initiation of Drug Abuse	9
	Correlates of Cessation of Drug Use	11
	Neurological Aspects of Drug Abuse	12
2.	Tobacco and Nicotine	17
	Tobacco Culture	17
	Epidemiology and Patterns of Use	19
	Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics	22
	Effects of Nicotine	23
	Subjective Effects	23
	Physiological Dependence and Tolerance	24
	Physiological Effects	24
	Mechanism of Central Action	26
	Morbidity and Mortality	27
	Coronary Heart Disease	27
	Cancer	28
	Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	29
	Smoking and Fetal Development	29
	Passive Smoking	29
	Treatment of Nicotine Addiction	31
3.	Opioids	35
	Culture and History	35
	Opioid Drugs	39
	Patterns of Use	42
	Effects of Opioid Drugs	44
	Subjective Effects	44
	Analgesia	45
	Gastrointestinal System	45
	Respiration	46
	In Utero Effects	46
	Physiological Dependence	47
	Tolerance	48
	Mechanism of Action	48
	Absorption and Fate	49
	Toxicity	50
	Pharmacological Treatment of Abuse	51
4.	Depressants of the Central Nervous System: Alcohol, Barbiturates, and Benzodiazepines	55
	Alcohol	56
	Epidemiology and Patterns of Use	56
	Genetics and Alcoholism	58
	Central Nervous System Effects of Alcohol	59
	Absorption, Distribution, and Metabolism	64
	In Utero Effects of Alcohol	66
	Beneficial Effects of Alcohol	67
	Morbidity	67
	Mortality	71
	Pharmacological Treatment of Alcholism	72
	Barbiturate and Nonbarbiturate Sedative-Hypnotics	73
	Benzodiazepines and other Minor Tranquilizers	73
	Effects of Benzodiazepines	73
	Patterns of Use	74
	Mechanism of Action	75
	Tolerance and Physiological Dependence	76
	Other Minor Tranquilizers	77
5.	Depressants of the Central Nervous System: Volatile Solvents and Aerosols	81
	Preparation Used	83
	Patterns of Use	84
	Effects of Volatile Solvents	86
	Habitual Use of Volatile Solvents	87
	Physiological Dependence	87
	Toxic Effects of Volatile Solvents: Morbidity and Mortality	87
	Aliphatic Hydrocarbons	88
	Aromatic Hydrocarbons	88
	Halogenated Hydrocarbons (Alkyl Halides)	89
	Ketones	90
	Esters	90
	Nitrites	90
6.	Club Drugs: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Ketamine, and Agents Taken in Similar Patterns	94
	Methylenedioxymethamphetamine	95
	Chemistry and Mechanism of Action	95
	Effects and Toxicity	96
	Patterns of Use	97
	Metabolism	97
	Gamma Hydroxybutyrate	97
	Effects and Phamacokinetics	98
	Dependence and Withdrawal	99
	Medical Indications	99
	Hallucinogens	99
	Ketamine and Phencyclidine	100
	Lysergic Acid Diethylamide	104
7.	Marijuana and Hashish	108
	Epidemiology and Patterns of Use	109
	Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics	110
	Physiological Dependence and Tolerance	112
	Effects of Marijuana	113
	Subjective Effects	113
	Physiological Effects	115
	Mechanism of Central Action	116
	Adverse Effects	117
	Acute Adverse Effects	117
	Persistent Adverse Effects	118
	Medical Use	119
8.	Central Nervous System Stimulants: Cocaine, Amphetamines, Related Drugs, and Caffeine	123
	Cocaine	124
	Mechanism of Action, Absorption, and Fate	126
	Toxicity	127
	The Amphetamines	128
	Neurotoxicity	131
	Mechanism of Action, Absorption, and Fate	131
	Effects of Amphetamine and Cocaine	131
	Patterns of Use	132
	Physiological Dependence on Stimulants	134
	Khat Chewing and Cathinone	134
	Caffeine and Theophylline	135
	Patterns of Use	136
	Effects	136
	Physiological Dependence	137
	Drugs Used to Treat Hyperactivity and Obesity	139
9.	Medical Issues Associated with Drug Abuse	142
	Infections Resulting from Intravenous Drug Use	142
	Heart	143
	Lung	144
	Central Nervous System	144
	Liver	145
	Skin and Soft Tissue	146
	Bone and Joint	148
	Immune System	148
	Pulmonary Health Risks from Smoking Illicit Drugs	150
	Marijuana	150
	Cocaine	151
10.	Drug Abuse and the Law	154
	Drug Abuse and American Federal Law	154
	Drug Abuse and International Law	165
	Index	171

Editorial Reviews

3 Stars from Doody

Reviewer: Michael Schrift, DO (University of Washington School of Medicine)
Description: This is the fourth edition of this comprehensive book written for students and practitioners on drug and alcohol abuse. Written and edited by researcher-educators in pharmacology, this is an excellent updated addition to the field.
Purpose: The purpose, according to the editors, is to provide, "a text or supplement for students and teachers in courses on the pharmacology and behavioral aspects of drug abuse at the upper undergraduate or graduate level; as a source book for medical students and physicians who need more information on drug-related problems their patients are facing; as a resource for counselors and therapists who wish to understand more about the drugs their clients are using; and for lay people with a general curiosity about the drugs that can lead to abuse and dependence." The editors have certainly achieved their goal in producing a very useful and readable book.
Audience: The intended audience is students, clinicians, and the general public.
Features: Topics covered in the 10 chapters include the epidemiology of drug abuse, tobacco and nicotine, opioids, central nervous system depressants — barbiturates, alcohol, benzodiazepines, and volatile solvents, "club drugs" such as ecstasy, GHB, ketamine, marijuana and hashish, and central nervous systems stimulants — cocaine, amphetamines and related drugs. Other interesting and important topics are: medical issues associated with drug abuse and drug abuse and the law. Each chapter ends with relevant and timely references and the index section was helpful. Abuse of anabolic steroids as well the emerging issue of the use of drugs (i.e., Prozac, Ritalin) for mood and cognitive enhancement (as opposed to treatment of a disorder) needs to be addressed in future editions.
Assessment: Overall, this is an excellent review of this important and ubiquitous issue. Anyone interested in this major and growing public health problem should be familiar with the information contained in this book. I highly recommend it.

Doody's Review Service

"It is useful as a concise reference, and would be the book to pull off of the library shelf should you need a diagram of the chemical structure of heroin for a teaching session." —Primary Care Psychology

From reviews of previous editions:

"Comprehensive in scope and detail...The detailed descriptions of how the drugs are abused, their physiological and psychological effects, and the withdrawal symptoms will be especially useful...A very useful reference."—American Pharmacy

"For students and practitioners in the health professions and for educators, this is an excellent book for general reference."—American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

"This publication would in informative to most anyone whose field is related to the usage of drugs. It would be of great interest to anyone who answers drug information calls, treats drug abusers, or leads public discussions on drug usage in our society."—Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy

"This work is an excellent reference text for both professionals and non-professionals in many disciplines."—Journal of Studies on Alcohol

From the Publisher