aThis is a beautifully written account from the front lines of a struggle between a federal drug war complex determined to keep demonizing marijuana and the growing movement of patients and doctors who have found marijuana to be a valuable medicine. Voters in California and many other states have strongly supported the patients. The moving stories in this book show why.a
--Craig Reinarman, co-author of "Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice"

aChapkis and Webb have done a masterful job in describing the intricacies of the drug debate and offer brilliant analysis on a complex and controversial subject. Both baby boomers and the current teenage population will find this book important and compelling reading.a
--Terry Williams, author of "Crackhouse: Notes from the End of the Line"

Marijuana as medicine has been a politically charged topic in this country for more than three decades. Despite overwhelming public support and growing scientific evidence of its therapeutic effects (relief of the nausea caused by chemotherapy for cancer and AIDS, control over seizures or spasticity caused by epilepsy or MS, and relief from chronic and acute pain, to name a few), the drug remains illegal under federal law.

In Dying to Get High, noted sociologists Wendy Chapkis and Richard J. Webb investigate one community of seriously-ill patients fighting the federal government for the right to use physician-recommended marijuana. Based in Santa Cruz, California, the Wo/Menas Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) is a unique patient-caregiver cooperative providing marijuana free of charge to mostly terminally ill members. For a brief period in 2004, it even operated the only legalnon-governmental medical marijuana garden in the country, protected by the federal courts against the DEA.

Using as their stage this fascinating profile of one remarkable organization, Chapkis and Webb tackle the broader, complex history of medical marijuana in America. Through compelling interviews with patients, public officials, law enforcement officers and physicians, Chapkis and Webb ask what distinguishes a legitimate patient from an illegitimate apothead, a agooda drugs from abad, a medicinal effects from ajust getting high.a Dying to Get High combines abstract argument and the messier terrain of how people actually live, suffer and die, and offers a moving account of what is at stake in ongoing debates over the legalization of medical marijuana.

In Alcohol and Hormones, leading researchers concisely review what is known about each human hormone system and how these systems are affected by alcohol use, to a lesser extent, other drugs of abuse. The contributors show clearly just how the body is regulated and how its normal functioning can be changed by alcohol.
Major topics covered range from alcohol-stress interactions and the effects of alcohol on vitamin A metabolism (fetal alcohol syndrome and neural tube development) to how alcohol blocks the release of various peptide hormones, to its effects on puberty-related events in the female. There are also articles about how alcohol affects the control of body temperature, the impact of alcohol on male sexual development during puberty, the role of TRH in alcohol use disorders, and the possibility for a neuroendocrinological component in alcoholism.
Alcohol and Hormones will be of interest to biomedical and alcohol researchers, neurobiologists, endocrinologists, pharmacologists, psychiatrists, and some clinicians interested in a deeper understanding of the effects of alcohol on the body.

Untold stories of people with substance addictions who have recovered without formal treatment Despite the widely accepted view that formal treatment and twelve-step groups are essential for overcoming dependencies on alcohol and drugs, each year large numbers of former addicts quietly recover on their own, without any formal treatment or participation in self-help groups at all. Coming Clean explores the untold stories of untreated addicts who have recovered from a lifestyle of excessive and compulsive substance use without professional assistance. Based on 46 in-depth interviews with formerly addicted individuals, this controversial volume examines their reasons for avoiding treatment, the strategies they employed to break away from their dependencies, the circumstances that facilitated untreated recovery, and the implications of recovery without treatment for treatment professionals as well as for prevention and drug policy. Because of the pervasive belief that addiction is a disease requiring formal intervention, few training programs for physicians, social workers, psychologists, and other health professionals explore the phenomenon of natural recovery from addiction. Coming Clean offers insights for treatment professionals of how recovery without treatment can work and how candidates for this approach can be identified. A detailed appendix outlines specific strategies which will be of interest to addicted individuals themselves who wish to attempt the process of recovery without treatment.

Research in the mid-1980s on the effects of prenatal drug abuse characterized cocaine-exposed children as moody, inconsolable, less socially interactive, and less able to bond than other children. "Crack babies," in particular, were believed to be less attentive and less able to focus on specific tasks than nonexposed children. Research concluded that these conditions were irreversible and that no amount of special attention or educational programs could turn these cocaine-exposed infants into well-functioning and adjusted children. Methodological problems in these early studies, combined with the fact that cocaine using mothers abuse other drugs as well, have left the research and public health communities uncertain about the cause and effect relationship between cocaine use and pre- and postnatal consequences. Cocaine-Exposed Infants examines what is known about the problem and unravels some of the contradictions in the extant literature. The authors also explore in-depth the media frenzy over so-called crack babies and the resulting legislation that served to criminalize drug use during pregnancy. For researchers, academics, health care providers, and mental health and legal professionals/practitioners, Cocaine-Exposed Infants provides state-of-the-art information in a field now entering its second generation of research. The book is also an excellent supplementary text for courses in criminal justice, corrections, policing, drug/alcohol studies, psychology, public health, and nursing.

Innovations in Adolescent Substance Abuse Interventions focuses on developmentally appropriate approaches to the assessment, prevention, or treatment of substance use problems among adolescents. Organized into 16 chapters, this book begins with an assessment of adolescent substance use; theory, methods, and effectiveness of a drug abuse prevention approach; and problem behavior prevention programming for schools and community groups. Some chapters follow on the community-, family- and school-based interventions for adolescents with substance use problems. Other chapters explain psychopharmacological therapy; the assertive aftercare protocol for adolescent substance abusers; and twelve-step-based interventions for adolescents.

The US-led war on drugs has failed: drugs remain purer, cheaper and more readily available than ever. Extreme levels of violence have also grown as drug traffickers and organized criminals compete for control of territory. This book points towards a number of crucial challenges, policy solutions and alternatives to the current drug strategies.

The mother of a suicide victim shares her pain, guilt, anger, and psychiatric expertise to offer methods for healing, weaving her personal grief, pain, and anger with practical information on the "normal" reactions to suicide.

A comprehensive overview of major 12-step programs, this practical manual also describes the nuances of the various programs that address the same addictive behavior to assist the clinician in assessing and referring clients to any 12-step program. One of the unique features of this book is a description of how 12-step program philosophy aligns with eight major psychotherapy orientations. Another feature is the integration of the client's individual needs and ego structure with the appropriateness and timing of a referral to a 12-step program within the overall therapeutic process.

In this day of managed care, it is essential for clinicians to make informed referrals. This book bridges the gap between the desire to refer and a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of the various programs. Through the use of detailed description, case vignettes, and clinical examples, this book proves an invaluable resource assisting clinicians to guide their clients through the process of integrating psychotherapy with adjunctive 12-step program involvement. Also included is a description of terms used in 12-step programs that allows the clinicians to join the client in a common language.

This volume, is developed from a collaborative study sponsored by the World Health Organization over a period of five years, the result of the combined effort of over 30 experts working in 19 different countries. The book presents a comprehensive survey of the development, policy, and procedures of methadone maintenance in countries with experience in this treatment. In addition to presenting a general overview of methadone's role in treating opioid addiction, the volume also focuses on specific questions of current interest, particularly the critical issue of methadone maintenance in the prevention of AIDS. Public health specialists and policymakers will find this book an invaluable source of information about what can be expected from methadone maintenance programs and why such programs have achieved some success in the rehabilitation of opiate users, while so many other attempts in this area have failed.

Following an introductory chapter, the contributors look at the impact of AIDS epidemiology on methadone policy. The role of methadone in addressing intravenous drug abuse and unsafe sex practices in drug dependent persons is explored in an attempt to assess the ability of methadone maintenance programs to stem the spread of AIDS. Subsequent chapters review the world literature on methadone in treating opioid dependency, explore national policies and practices regarding methadone maintenance, present an international survey of methadone's role, and analyze the present state of research on methadone. A bibliography and index complete the volume.

As the first director of National Drug Control Policy is appointed to the federal cabinet, this timely "Handbook" surveys the U.S. government's efforts to control illegal drugs. In his valuable contribution toward effectively dealing with this problem, Inciardi successfully avoids the traps that have misled so many in the past, such as devising a single prefabricated solution and waging yet another war on drugs. Instead, he offers a useful way of thinking about the problem, which, while not a solution in itself, provides the tools necessary to develop a realistic and effective national drug policy. Among these is a better understanding of the drug problem, which is supported by including the history and evolution of drug abuse and drug control in the United States, surveys of supply-reduction and demand-reduction strategies, and a discussion of the drug-control controversies before us today. Inciardi then takes a look to the future direction of drug control by recognizing the single most effective resource we have in the struggle to overcome the scourge of illegal drugs and the crime they spawn--the will of the American people.

"The Handbook" is divided into three parts, and includes appendices and exhaustive indices. The Introduction and Part One consist of four articles that chronicle the history of the drug problem in the United States, the roots of the current policy effort, and the emergence of drug abuse treatment as a means of demand reduction. This is followed by a focused examination of the links between drug use and crime. Part Two then offers detailed accounts of contemporary efforts to reduce the supply and demand of illegal substances, including prevention, intervention, treatment, and foreign policy considerations. Part Three targets problematic sectors and controversies in contemporary drug control efforts such as foreign policy implications, drug testing, the AIDS/intravenous drug use connection, and the debate over the legalization of drugs. A series of background papers focuses on drug scheduling, drug paraphernalia laws, and extradition, plus a summary of the 1989 National Drug Control Strategy released by the White House. The name and subject indices further enhance the value of this volume as a reference resource.

Pioneering evidence is presented in this book to support the effectiveness of peer counseling for substance abuse treatment of pregnant women and their families. The introduction by Barry R. Sherman describes his personal experience as a behavioral scientist doing work in a culture other than his own. A comprehensive overview of the crack epidemic and its impact on women is followed by an up-to-date account of acupuncture in addiction treatment. The authors use the theory and principles of social learning to justify the peer counselor model known as SISTERS. Chapters include discussions of conducting culturally competent research, development and validation of the Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and the Traumatic Life Events (TLE) Inventory, as well as the social support systems of drug-dependent women. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to evaluate program impact. A urine toxicology index of sobriety as well as empirical measures of psychosocial functioning and client satisfaction demonstrate sufficient success and cost-effectiveness of the program to warrant serious support by health care providers and insurance companies.

This book is a collection of studies of drug policies in several Latin American countries. The chapters analyze the specific histories of drug policies in each country, as well as related phenomena and case studies throughout the region. It presents conceptual reflections on the origins of prohibition and the "War on Drugs," including the topic of human rights and cognitive freedom. Further, the collection reflects on the pioneering role of some Latin American countries in changing paradigms of international drug policy. Each case study provides an analysis of where each state is now in terms of policy reform within the context of its history and current socio-political circumstances. Concurrently, local movements, initiatives, and backlash against the reformist debate within the hemisphere are examined. The recent changes regarding the regulation of marijuana in the United States and their possible impact on Latin America are also addressed. This work is an important, up-to-date and well-researched reference for all who are interested in drug policy from a Latin American perspective.

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This book focuses on New York City-based actors and comedians who are self-acknowledged heroin users. Barry Spunt examines a number of hypotheses about the reasons why actors and comedians use heroin as well as the impact of heroin on performance, creativity, and career trajectory. A primary concern of the book is the role that subculture and identity play in helping us to understand the heroin use of these entertainers. Spunt captures the voices of actors and comedians through narrative accounts from a variety of secondary sources. He also examines how New York-based films about heroin relate to the major themes of his research.

This book provides a sociological examination of young people's pathways into, and out of, substance abuse. Drawing from in-depth, life-history interviews with over sixty young people who have experienced problematic drug use, the author uses participants' narratives to throw light on the relationship between trauma and issues such as homelessness, crime and self-injury. Contesting the view that substance abuse is either a medical issue or individual failing, the book examines the wide variety of factors which lead to youth substance abuse such as extreme poverty and other structural factors. Whilst it does not overlook individual agency, the rich descriptions from young people's oral histories show us that the contexts in which agency was exercised, was often considerably constrained by significant structural forces. The sociological concept of 'situated choice', which is used to explain and understand how people make choices within their individual context, is used throughout the book as we witness young people wrestling to escape intergenerational disadvantage. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of Social Work, Social Policy, Youth Studies, Sociology and Health Studies.

The Latin American narcotics trade is an important national security issue for the United States because it is destabilizing important Latin American allies and creating serious social problems within the United States. Frustration with the inability to block the flow of cocaine, marijuana, and heroin from Latin America prompted passage of major national anti-drug laws in 1986 and 1988. Throughout the decade, United States narcotics policy has created serious friction between the United States and Latin America yet, according to Mabry, it essentially has failed in its goals. Nine experts on this subject deal with the major issues of United States narcotics policy and offer recommendations for future action. The history of the United States narcotics policy, the nature of the trade, the debate over the use of the United States military in interdiction efforts, the role of Congress in making policy, and the origin and implementation of narcotics policy, be it directed against a specific nation or against the entire region, are presented. In addition, the book also contains a List of Tables covering: Consumption of Drugs, and Columbian Trafficker's Investment Preferences. An extensive bibliography is included designed to give other scholars and those interested in this issue an excellent start for further research.

This cutting-edge volume is the first to address the burgeoning interest in drugs and Africa among scholars, policymakers, and the general public. It brings together an interdisciplinary group of leading academics and practitioners to explore the use, trade, production, and control of mind-altering substances on the continent

The most important writings on the psychoanalytic understandings and treatments of drug and vice addiction Drug abuse, alcoholism, compulsive gambling, and other destructive addictions plague our society. Theories of addiction locate its cause variously-in factors related to the substance, the addict's personality, or to the addict's environment. Arguments about effective treatment programs are fierce. Essential Papers on Addiction presents the most important writing and the various sides of the debate on the psychoanalytic understanding and treatment of addiction. Daniel Yalisove outlines the history of the treatment of addiction and introduces important psychoanalytic concepts used in understanding addicts. The book includes case studies which illustrate the course of addiction and presents the work of the most influential theorists in the field. Divided into eight sections focusing on historical work on addiction, psychoanalytic theories of addiction, transference and countertransference issues in treating addiction, psychoanalytic treatment for the addictions, psychoanalytic therapy and disease concepts, and psychiatric illness and addiction, this definitive volume includes contributions by the most experienced and renowned experts on the subject. Contributors include S. Freud, E. Glover, S. Rado, R. P. Knight, L. Wurmser, N. E. Zinberg, H. Krystal, D. Jacobs, R. Fine, J. Gustafson, C. L. Brown, M. L. Selzer, V. Davidson, J. Imhof, R. Hirsch, R. E. Terenzi, M. E. Chafetz, A. Silber, R. J. Rosenthal, E. M. Pattison, M. B. Sobell, L. C. Sobell, J. E. Zweben, E. Simmel, B. Brickman, E. J. Khantzian, R. D. Weiss, S. M. Mirin, A. T. McLellan, and H. J. Richards.

Using data from an ongoing longitudinal study of adolescents and young adults, this provocative volume examines the frequency, prevalence, and types of disruptive drug use in the workplace and in schools. The findings provide essential information for developing effective long-term prevention and education programs which focus on creating a drug-free work environment that is responsive to the needs of both employers and employees.

Why does American law allow the recreational use of some drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine, but not others, such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin? The answer lies not simply in the harm the use of these drugs might cause, but in the perceived morality-or lack thereof-of their recreational use. Despite strong rhetoric from moral critics of recreational drug use, however, it is surprisingly difficult to discern the reasons they have for deeming the recreational use of (some) drugs morally wrong. In this book, Rob Lovering lays out and dissects various arguments for the immorality of using marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs recreationally. He contends that, by and large, these arguments do not succeed. Lovering's book represents one of the first works to systematically present, analyze, and critique arguments for the moral wrongness of recreational drug use. Given this, as well as the popularity of the morality-based defense of the United States' drug laws, this book is an important and timely contribution to the debate on the recreational use of drugs.

This important new study examines the value of day care in treating problems of teenage drug abuse. Aimed at behavioral scientists, primarily psychologists, sociologists, and drug abuse treatment practitioners, this work will add significantly to the body of knowledge about the types of patients and families using, benefitting and resisting available drug treatment programs. The research is based on an in-depth analysis of one hospital-based program that primarily serves middle class suburban white clients. The author includes unique long-term follow-up interviews of former patients and program dropouts six years after treatment and identifies the sociodemographic correlates linked to the completion of treatment and the maintenance of drug-free status during young adulthood. The book also focuses on the impact of the social characteristics and behavior of patients' families upon their long-term rehabilitations.

With a foreword by Dr. David E. Smith, founder and President of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc., San Francisco, this book sheds new light on treating substance abuse among middle class suburban youth. It also expands knowledge of outpatient drug treatments and provides some factual support for the utility of day care as a remedy for youth substance abuse problems. Delving into the correlates of successful and unsuccessful treatments, the study offers valuable suggestions on those likely to benefit from day care and those requiring more intensive residential treatments. Challenging conventional wisdom, the results suggest that complete abstinence from drugs may not be necessary, nor essential, in promoting optimal post-treatment adaptations for young adults who were former teen drug abusers. The findings also extend current knowledge on how families influence treatment outcomes, highlighting those family attributes and behavior that may aid in the rehabilitation process and as well as those that may sabotage treatment goals.

Intravenous drug users account for nearly one-third of the current AIDS cases in the United States--second only to gay males--and are responsible for 72 percent of female and 59 percent of pediatric cases of AIDS. Thus the National Institute of Drug Abuse launched a major effort in 1987 to locate hidden users and to see how they function and to evaluate strategies and community-based programs in 50 cities and 60 nearby communities around the country in order to lower risks to IV users and to reduce the dangers that they pose to others in the population. Brown and Beschner present the very latest findings and come to well-tested conclusions about how to change behaviors positively. This handbook is written for use in college, university, and professional libraries and for students, teachers, policymakers, and practitioners in public health service and in public policy at all governmental levels to study carefully. Brown and Beschner open with an introduction showing how injection drug users and their sexual partners are at risk for aids. Part I describes the spread of AIDS in the United States and Puerto Rico. Part II depicts patterns of injection drug and crack use and their effect on sex partners. Part III deals with gender issues. Part IV goes into demographic and background factors. Part V discusses key issues in the use of drug abuse treatment. Part VI analyzes outreach and behavior change strategies. And Part VI looks into how risk can be reduced as a result of outreach and specific intervention strategies. The final chapter comes to some conclusions about the effectiveness of various interventions by the National AIDS Demonstration Research Project. Background readings also add to the importance of this major reference.

The drug problem in South Asia is mounting. This work provides an inside story of the pro-revenue drug policies pursued both by the British colonial authorities and post-independent governments in South Asia. It examines the resurgence of Indian traffickers in international drug trafficking in recent years, and presents an extensive overview of the Afghan crisis that endorsed money from heroin trafficking to support the war in Afghanistan. The dangers of the drug trade in South Asia have now become global the author assesses international efforts against drug trafficking and the factors constraining this.

Despite the fear surrounding the issue of drug use by our children, there is little information to guide those interested in providing help to children vulnerable to substance abuse. "Children and Addiction" addresses the needs of counselors, teachers, parents, and other concerned parties by describing the influence of habit formation, opportunity, access, predisposition, family relationships, the educational environment, and interpersonal communication as precursors to the addictive process. The effects of addiction and its impact upon the individual, family, school, and society are discussed in detail. Additional information is provided on types of drugs, treatment, relapse, self-help groups, and the recovery process. Interspersed throughout the text are descriptive case histories to assist the reader in their understanding of the process of addiction.

This text provides up-to-date, comprehensive, and accessible information about alcohol use in western society and other cultures. In 2009, President Barack Obama hosted a friendly "beer summit" on the White House lawn in an attempt to diffuse a racially charged incident between a Caucasian policeman and an African American professor. In the United States, beer and other alcoholic beverage companies are often the main advertisers during television sporting event coverage. A study has found that 44 percent of American college students participate in binge drinking, while the NHTSA reports that over 31 percent of traffic fatalities involve a driver with an illegal blood-alcohol content level. In our culture, consumption of alcohol is both widely accepted as a healthy social norm and condemned as a crime. Alcohol provides information about how alcohol acts upon the body, the social problems related to alcohol use, medical disorders connected to alcohol use, alcohol use throughout world cultures and the American population, and public policy issues. This book also contains sections on adolescent and college student alcohol use. Provides a chronological presentation of alcohol consumption in world cultures, American society, public policy, and related issues Includes a bibliography and index to facilitate further reading and direct access to information on specific topics