Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems

Alcoholism and Other Drug Problems offers a balanced and comprehensive account of the nature, causes, prevention, and treatment of the nation''s number one public health problem. This edition of Royce''s award-winning text,Alcohol Problems and Alcoholism, has been extensively updated throughout by Royce and his coauthor David Scratchley, with new chapters on drugs other than alcohol to reflect the most recent research in the field.

Part I, "Alcohol and Other Drugs," examines the nature and impact of alcohol as a drug and discusses historical and contemporary cultural attitudes toward drinking in America. A new chapter on the effects that other drugs can have on the user and on the family, and treatment methods, has been added to this section. Part II, "Addiction," describes the patterns and symptoms of this complicated phenomenon. The authors also use new data to illustrate the impact that addiction can have on special groups such as children, minorities, and the elderly. Part III, "Prevention and Intervention," looks at the various techniques that have succeeded or failed in curbing drug abuse. Finally, Part IV, "Treatment and Rehabilitation," surveys the range of available treatment approaches with chapters on various twelve-step programs and new information on drugs and the law.