Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in Amer ica. Some 40% of the adult population has tried mari juana at least once. It is the third largest agricultural commodity in the nation and a $10 billion industry. In many areas of the country, marijuana production or sale is the largest moneymaker by far. In Florida, for ex ample, it ranks ahead of every business except tourism. It is also a widely misunderstood substance. An en tire generation of Americans grew up believing that marijuana was virtually risk-free. This belief persists, despite growing evidence of physical, psychological,...

This book is written for a truly general medical audience. Clinicians, researchers, residents, and students will find Al cohol a direct treatment of the major drug problem in Amer ica. Along with the first volume in this series on marijuana, Alcohol is timely and relevant. The subject is presented with clarity in an effort to provide professionals and interested readers with a basic background in the field of alcohol studies. The emphasis is on what is known and can be coun ted on as fundamental knowledge on the various aspects of history, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of...

This book presents recent medical information on nicotine and tobacco's neurobiological, physiological, and psychological effects, reviews the history of tobacco use, and describes the latest diagnostic and treatment programs for tobacco addiction, stressing the physician's role in preventing tobacc

This text serves as a practical guide to the effective diagnosis and treatment of alcohol and drug addictive disorders. It offers clear, step-by-step recommendations on the selection and application of both pharmacological and psychosocial therapies.

Performance Enhancing Medications and Drugs of Abuse explores various medications currently being abused by patients, from the drugs used for physical and cosmetic purposes by weekend warriors, professional athletes, and other at-risk populations, to the drugs used to enhance mood and memory.

Here is a timely volume that reviews the current state of knowledge of cocaine use. Some of the country's leading authorities on cocaine use and abuse examine the pharmacology and neurochemistry of central stimulant abuse with a focus on the specific effects of cocaine. They also address recent experiences concerning the epidemiology of cocaine use from several different databases. This highly useful and informative book also explains the effectiveness of the existing diagnostic and treatment approaches.

Can certain foods hijack the brain in ways similar to drugs and alcohol, and is this effect sufficiently strong to contribute to major diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, and hence constitute a public health menace? Terms like "chocoholic" and "food addict" are part of popular lore, some popular diet books discuss the concept of addiction, and there are food addiction programs with names like Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous. Clinicians who work with patients often hear the language of addiction when individuals speak of irresistible cravings, withdrawal symptoms when...

Author Mark S. Gold presents the latest medical information on nicotine and tobacco's neurobiological, physiological, and psychological effects. This timely monograph also discusses the latest diagnostic and treatment programs as well as model programs for use by practitioners which were developed by the National Cancer Institute and other eminent organizations. The author also includes a comprehensive history of tobacco use.

For every news story in the popular press detailing the horrors and the violence associated with cocaine, there have been corresponding studies in the medical litera ture shedding new light on our understanding of this most troublesome drug. Our knowledge of addiction, and specifically cocaine addiction, has increased dra matically within the last few years. We stand on the threshold of an exciting new era in addictionology that promises better treatments, improved diagnostic proce dures, and more effective preventative strategies. We must prepare today for the avalanche of exciting dis...