Hanson (pharmacology and toxicology, U. of Utah) et al. offer college students in nursing, physical education and other health sciences, psychology, social work, and sociology a textbook on the impact of drug use and abuse on ordinary people from pharmacological, neurobiological, psychological, and sociological perspectives. Coverage includes reasons why drug abuse occurs, prevention and treatment, and effective uses for therapeutic purposes. This edition has been revised and updated to incorporate current information and includes discussion of the genetics of drug abuse and addiction and the reasons behind and consequences of the recent surge in prescription drug use. It also addresses public advertising of prescription products, the consequences of methamphetamine and narcotic analgesics, and over-the-counter products and their abuse, and updated data on abuse levels in young people, steroids in baseball, OxyContin, restrictions on pain pills, heroin potency, HIV/AIDS and drug abusers, risk factors and protective factors, and alcohol problems in young people and college students. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less