How should the war on drugs be fought? Everyone seems to agree that the United States ought to use a combination of several different approaches to combat the destructive effects of illegal drug use. Yet there is a remarkable paucity of data and research information that policy makers require if they are to create a useful, realistic policy package-details about drug use, drug market economics, and perhaps most importantly the impact of drug enforcement activities. Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs recommends ways to close these gaps in our understanding-by obtaining the necessary data on drug prices and consumption (quantity in addition to frequency); upgrading federal management of drug statistics; and improving our evaluation of prevention, interdiction, enforcement, and treatment efforts. The committee reviews what we do and do not know about illegal drugs and how data are assembled and used by federal agencies. The book explores the data and research information needed to support strong drug policy analysis, describes the best methods to use, explains how to avoid misleading conclusions, and outlines strategies for increasing access to data. Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs also discusses how researchers can incorporate randomization into studies of drug treatment and how state and local agencies can compare alternative approaches to drug enforcement. Charting a course toward a better-informed illegal drugs policy, this book will be important to federal and state policy makers, regulators, researchers, program administrators, enforcement officials, journalists, and advocates concerned about illegal drug use.

Despite efforts to reduce drug consumption in the United States over the past 35 years, drugs are just as cheap and available as they have ever been. Cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines continue to cause great harm in the country, particularly in minority communities in the major cities. Marijuana use remains a part of adolescent development for about half of the country's young people, although there is controversy about the extent of its harm. Given the persistence of drug demand in the face of lengthy and expensive efforts to control the markets, the National Institute of Justice asked the National Research Council to undertake a study of current research on the demand for drugs in order to help better focus national efforts to reduce that demand. This study complements the 2003 book, Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs by giving more attention to the sources of demand and assessing the potential of demand-side interventions to make a substantial difference to the nation's drug problems. Understanding the Demand for Illegal Drugs therefore focuses tightly on demand models in the field of economics and evaluates the data needs for advancing this relatively undeveloped area of investigation.

The spectrum of addiction disorders presents practitioners with numerous challenges—among them the widening gap between a growing evidence base and the translation of this knowledge into treatment outcomes. Addiction Medicine addresses this disconnect, clearly explaining the role of brain function in drug taking and other habit-forming behaviors, and applying this biobehavioral framework to the delivery of evidence-based treatment. Its state-of-the-art coverage provides clinically relevant details on not only traditional sources of addiction such as cocaine, opiates, and alcohol, but also more recently recognized substances of abuse (e.g., steroids, inhalants) as well as behavioral addictions (e.g., binge eating, compulsive gambling, hoarding). Current behavioral and medical therapies are discussed in depth, and the book’s close attention to social context gives readers an added lens for personalizing treatment. An international panel of expert contributors offers the most up-to-date information on: Diagnosis and classification Neurobiological and molecular theories of addiction Behavioral concepts of addiction Clinical aspects of addiction to a wide range of substances, including opiates, stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine Science-based treatment options: pharmacotherapy, pharmacogenetics, potential vaccines, brief and compliance-enhancing interventions, cognitive behavioral treatment, behavioral management, and other psychosocial interventions Behavioral addictions—including compulsive eating, Internet messaging, and hypersexuality—and their treatment Addiction in specific populations, including adolescents, the elderly, pregnant women, and health care professionals Legal, disability, and rehabilitation issues At once comprehensive and integrative, Addiction Medicine is an essential text and a practice-expanding tool for psychiatrists, health psychologists, pharmacologists, social workers, drug counselors, trainees, and general physicians/family practitioners.

Using the best scientific evidence, Drugs: America's Holy War explores the impact and cost of America’s "War on Drugs" – both in tax spending and in human terms. Is it possible that US drug policies are helping to proliferate, not prevent, a multitude of social ills including: homicide, property crime, the spread of AIDS, the contamination of drugs, the erosion of civil liberties, the punishment of thousands of non-violent people, the corruption of public officials, and the spending of billions of tax dollars in an attempt to prevent certain drugs from entering the country? In this controversial new book, award-winning economist Arthur Benavie analyzes the research findings and argues that an end to the war on drugs, much as we ended alcohol prohibition, would yield enormous international benefits, destroy dangerous and illegal drug cartels, and allow the American government to refocus its attention on public well-being.

Integrating scientific knowledge with today's most effective treatment options, Addiction Medicine: Science and Practice, 2nd Edition, provides a wealth of information on addictions to substances and behavioral addictions. It discusses the concrete research on how the brain and body are affected by addictions, improving your understanding of how patients develop addictions and how best to personalize treatment and improve outcomes. This essential text is ideal for anyone who deals with patients with addictions in clinical practice, including psychiatrists, health psychologists, pharmacologists, social workers, drug counselors, trainees, and general physicians/family practitioners. - Clearly explains the role of brain function in drug taking and other habit-forming behaviors, and shows how to apply this biobehavioral framework to the delivery of evidence-based treatment. - Provides clinically relevant details on not only traditional sources of addiction such as cocaine, opiates, and alcohol, but also more recently recognized substances of abuse (e.g., steroids, inhalants) as well as behavioral addictions (e.g., binge eating, compulsive gambling, hoarding). - Discusses current behavioral and medical therapies in depth, while also addressing social contexts that may affect personalized treatment. - Contains new information on compliance-enhancing interventions, cognitive behavioral treatments, behavioral management, and other psychosocial interventions. - Includes neurobiological, molecular, and behavioral theories of addiction, and includes a section on epigenetics. - Contains up-to-date information throughout, including a new definition of status epilepticus, a current overview of Lennox Gastaut syndrome, and updates on new FDA-approved drugs for pediatric neurological disorders. - Features expanded sections on evidence-based treatment options including pharmacotherapy, pharmacogenetics, and potential vaccines. - Addresses addiction in regards to specific populations, including adolescents, geriatric, pregnant women, and health care professionals. - Includes contributions from expert international authors, making this a truly global reference to addiction medicine.

Neuropathology of Drug Addictions and Substance Misuse, Volume 3: General Processes and Mechanisms, Prescription Medications, Caffeine and Areca, Polydrug Misuse, Emerging Addictions and Non-Drug Addictions is the third of three volumes in this informative series and offers a comprehensive examination of the adverse consequences of the most common drugs of abuse. Each volume serves to update the reader's knowledge on the broader field of addiction as well as to deepen understanding of specific addictive substances. Volume 3 addresses prescription medications, caffeine, polydrug misuse, and non-drug addictions. Each section provides data on the general, molecular, cellular, structural, and functional neurological aspects of a given substance, with a focus on the adverse consequences of addictions. Research shows that the neuropathological features of one addiction are often applicable to those of others, and understanding these commonalties provides a platform for studying specific addictions in more depth and may ultimately lead researchers toward new modes of understanding, causation, prevention and treatment. However, marshalling data on the complex relationships between addictions is difficult due to the myriad of material and substances. - Offers a modern approach to understanding the pathology of substances of abuse, offering an evidence-based ethos for understanding the neurology of addictions - Fills an existing gap in the literature by serving as a "one-stop-shopping synopsis of everything to do with the neuropathology of drugs of addiction and substance misuse - Includes in each chapter: list of abbreviations, abstract, introduction, applications to other addictions and substance misuse, mini-dictionary of terms, summary points, 6+ figures and tables, full references - Offers coverage of preclinical, clinical, and population studies, from the cell to whole organs, and from the genome to whole body

Containing more than 450 entries, this easy-to-read encyclopedia provides concise information about the history of and recent trends in drug use and drug abuse in the United States—a societal problem with an estimated cost of $559 billion a year. Despite decades of effort and billions of dollars spent to combat the problem, illicit drug use in the United States is still rampant and shows no sign of abating. Covering illegal drugs ranging from marijuana and LSD to cocaine and crystal meth, this authoritative reference work examines patterns of drug use in American history, as well as drug control and interdiction efforts from the nineteenth century to the present. This encyclopedia provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the various aspects of the American drug problem, including the drugs themselves, the actions taken in attempts to curb or stop the drug trade, the efforts at intervention and treatment of those individuals affected by drug use, and the cultural and economic effects of drug use in the United States. More than 450 entries descriptively analyze and summarize key terms, trends, concepts, and people that are vital to the study of drugs and drug abuse, providing readers of all ages and backgrounds with invaluable information on domestic and international drug trafficking and use. The set provides special coverage of shifting societal and legislative perspectives on marijuana, as evidenced by Colorado and Washington legalizing marijuana with the 2012 elections.