This book builds on an earlier publication by the same author: The Misuse of Drugs Act: A Guide for Forensic Scientists. It provides a chemical background to the domestic and international controls on drugs of abuse and related substances, and includes coverage of 'designer drugs' and generic/analogue controls from UK, USA and New Zealand perspectives. More general chapters cover recent history of the drug classification debate, and a proposal for consolidating a wide range of legal controls on chemical substances. This unique book will be appeal to a general readership. Forensic scientists, researchers, teachers, postgraduate and graduate students will all find this book an exceptional point of reference.

This book presents original research outlining the key elements in responding to parental misuse of drugs and alcohol. Offers a definition of “misuse” and “addiction” and the factors that influence the nature of misuse or addiction Reviews extensively the nature and impact of parental substance misuse on children and families using the latest evidence Explores how research and theories might help inform professionals or non-professionals assessing families affected by parents who misuse drugs or alcohol Provides an in-depth discussion of Motivational Interviewing, including a critical discussion of the challenges and limitations involved in using it in child and family settings Considers the wider implications of the findings for practice and policy and argues that these responses can be used across the field of work with vulnerable children and their families

dependence and, second, to inform about prevention, harm minimiza tion, treatment and control, in order that professionals can identify, assess and work with different kinds of drug misusers. It also aims to give information about the wide range of multidisciplinary and special ist professionals who can contribute in this field. BACKGROUND The ancient Greek word for drug has three meanings: a cure or remedy, a poison and a magical charm. This book will consider these meanings in the modern sense: drugs as medication and as a solution to problems; drugs as dangerous to health; and drugs as magical and hedonistic. In the recent past, policy and practice guidelines have often been based on a misunderstanding of the diversity and complexity of drug misuse. Professionals have confused different types of drug misuse and/ or attempted to compress all types into one narrowly defined cate gory, i.e. all drugs are good or bad. This is the first mistake: it is prefer able to go right back to the ancient Greeks and try to understand the range of different effects of drugs on different people. Practitioners first of all need to understand the complexity of drug misuse in order to develop realistic concepts and construct useful cate gories for assessment. After this, they are in a position to identify clearly the main risks and problems in the different categories and so to deter mine which type of intervention is most appropriate.

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

This handbook provides a comprehensive examination of the past and present roles of drugs in society with a focus on theory, research, policy, and practice. Includes 28 original chapters with multi-disciplinary and international perspectives by top social and behavioral scientists Reviews current knowledge in the field, including key research findings, theoretical developments, and methodological debates Identifies ongoing controversies in the field, emergent topics, and areas in need of further inquiry Discusses individual drugs as well as topics like physiological theories of drug use and abuse, public health implications of drugs, patterns of drugs and crime, international drug trade and trafficking, and designer drugs