The essential newly-expanded reference that needs to be on the desk of every health care professional who encounters substance abusers.

Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition is the newly-updated classic reference text that provides even more detailed and expanded information on the pharmacological, toxicological, and neuropsychological consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. Eight new chapters of crucial information have been added. Written by leading experts in the fields of medical physiology, psychopharmacology, and neuropsychology, this valuable resource provides the detailed alcohol and drug information health professionals in all fields need to know.

Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition greatly expands on the expert information provided in the first edition. This text provides reviews of the cardiovascular, neurological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, psychological, and hepatic effects of commonly abused drugs. The book also provides in-depth explanations of the mechanisms by which these psychoactive drugs exert their biobehavioral effects as well as current thinking about—and definitions of—abuse, dependence, and alcohol/drug use.

The Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition includes vital information on:



alcohol, including definitions of alcohol use, abuse, and dependence
the relationship between alcohol and accidental injuries, alcohol’s effect on skeletal and major organ systems, and its effect on risk factors for certain cancers
effects of alcohol and other drugs on neuropsychological function
the effects of alcohol on neuron signaling, neurotransmitter function, and alcoholic brain damage and cognitive dysfunction
fetal alcohol effects
chronic effects of marijuana use on psychological and physical health, including a fair and balanced discussion of the medical marijuana issue
the consequences of opiate abuse and methadone pharmacotherapy, including a comparison of the effects of methadone and heroin on organ systems
cocaine’s history, the various forms of the drug, and the adverse effects of cocaine on cardiovascular, neurologic, and pulmonary systems
the medical consequences of inhalants ranging from benzene to xylene
the prenatal effects of nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, and opiates
terminology that appears in the current literature on alcohol

New topics in the Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition include chapters discussing:



chemical dependency in psychiatric patients
medical consequences of steroids
OTC medications
hallucinogens
health effects of tobacco, nicotine, and exposure to tobacco smoke
interactions of alcohol with other drugs and other medications
periodontal effects of alcohol and drug abuse in the oral cavity
imaging studies of structural brain changes

The Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for physicians, scientists, nurses, psychologists, and alcohol and drug counselors.