Pagliaros’ Comprehensive Guide to Drugs and Substances of Abuse

Abstract

Drug and substance abuse is a major problem in North America. Health care providers who care for patients who abuse drugs and other substances need to have a clear understanding of the health, societal, and economic impact of this problem and an intimate knowledge of the agents of abuse to ensure adequate treatment. Pagliaros' Comprehensive Guide to Drugs and Substances of Abuse was written to provide general health care professionals with a timely, authoritative, scholarly, and well-referenced compilation and analysis of available data concerning the status, trends, and pharmacology of drugs and substances of abuse in North America. Following a brief introduction outlining the issues in drugs and substance abuse, the book is divided into two parts. Part 1 consists of three chapters, each devoted to the history and pharmacology of one of the three major classes of drugs and substances. Chapter 1, The Psychodepressants, outlines the opiates, sedative–hypnotics (e.g., alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates) and volatile solvents and inhalants. Chapter 2, The Psychostimulants, covers amphetamines, caffeine, cathinone, cocaine, and nicotine. Chapter 3, The Psychedelics, reviews the indoles (e.g., lysergic acid diethylamide), psilocin, psilocybin), the phenethylamines (e.g., 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine [MDA], 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA], and mescaline [peyote]), and cannabis (e.g., marijuana, hashish, hashish oil). The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, adverse effects and toxicity, physical and psychological dependence, patterns of use (medical and personal), and theories of use of each agent are outlined. Part 2 consists of monographs of 96 drugs and substances of abuse. Each monograph contains information on the name or names of drugs or substances of abuse, pharmacologic class, brief overview (including availability and use patterns), available dosage forms, routes of administration, mechanism of action, current approved indications for medical use, desired action or reason for personal use, basic toxicology (including associated acute and chronic adverse effects), teratogenic and fetotoxic potential, signs and symptoms of overdose, withdrawal syndrome, and basic treatment.