Overview
What are illicit drugs? Why do people use them? What are the effects on the body of using drugs? Are some drugs more dangerous than others? What is addiction? Why are some people able to stop using drugs at will while others become addicted? Respected science author Margaret O. Hyde and Yale University School of Medicine physician John F. Setaro take a fresh approach to the problem of drug abuse among teens. This book looks at drugs and drug abuse honestly and realistically, from a review of the intoxicating and health effects of drugs to the war on drugs to the debate over legalization. The authors' straightforward descriptions of the physical, psychological, social, and legal effects of drug use will be highly informative to those teens in the process of making a decision about drugs. The book will also benefit the one out of ten American teens who have already used drugs -- and will be invaluable to the many for whom drugs have become a dependency. A self test for drug dependency and a list of Web sites for organizations that can provide further information and assistance complete this practical, teen-friendly guide.Synopsis
What are illicit drugs? Why do people use them? What are the effects on the body of using drugs? Are some drugs more dangerous than others? What is addiction? Why are some people able to stop using drugs at will while others become addicted? Respected science author Margaret O. Hyde and Yale University School of Medicine physician John F. Setaro take a fresh approach to the problem of drug abuse among teens. This book looks at drugs and drug abuse honestly and realistically, from a review of the intoxicating and health effects of drugs to the war on drugs to the debate over legalization. The authors' straightforward descriptions of the physical, psychological, social, and legal effects of drug use will be highly informative to those teens in the process of making a decision about drugs. The book will also benefit the one out of ten American teens who have already used drugs -- and will be invaluable to the many for whom drugs have become a dependency. A self test for drug dependency and a list of Web sites for organizations that can provide further information and assistance complete this practical, teen-friendly guide.
Heather Hepler - VOYA
Featured as an overview of illicit drugs, this resource offers a summary of the characteristics of major drugs, the spread of diseases, and the law enforcement effort directed at stopping drug trafficking. Vignettes featuring drug users and their experiences are sprinkled through the text, offering a human component to the factual exploration. Sections discuss the prevention of drug use and the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users. Additional sections are devoted to an overview of the economics surrounding drug use; the effects of drugs on pregnant mothers and their babies; what one can do to help a friend or family member cope with a drug problem; and the issues surrounding the legalization of marijuana. Grainy black-and-white photographs do little to enhance the text, but the addition of graphs and tables and several resources for further research elevate this book beyond many others on this subject. The book concludes with drug profiles from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information 2002 Drugs of Abuse, which offer clear information about each class of drugs, particularly symptoms of use, abuse, and overdose. An unbiased presentation of the facts surrounding illicit drugs makes this book an excellent choice for general information as well as beginning research. Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Charts. Source Notes. Further Reading. VOYA Codes: 4Q 3P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Twenty-First Century, 160p,
Editorials
Children's Literature
One of ten American teens has already tried drugs and there are many others struggling with the decision to try them out. This book, written by a former science and social studies teacher and a cardiovascular physician, describes in no uncertain terms the medical, social and personal effects of drug use and abuse. Beginning with the changing social scene that has coddled the use of drugs, the reality of what addiction does to the human brain, specific drugs and their actions in the body, supposedly recreational drug use, prescription drugs and inhalants, drug use on young people's brains, drug use and society, starting and stopping, and the political issues of reducing the supply and legalization, are all treated in honesty. Black-and-white photos, line drawings and shaded boxes for additional information all add to this very unglamorous view of this serious teen problem. A perfect book for the serious class discussion on drug use and abuse. 2003, Twenty First Century Books,VOYA
Featured as an overview of illicit drugs, this resource offers a summary of the characteristics of major drugs, the spread of diseases, and the law enforcement effort directed at stopping drug trafficking. Vignettes featuring drug users and their experiences are sprinkled through the text, offering a human component to the factual exploration. Sections discuss the prevention of drug use and the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users. Additional sections are devoted to an overview of the economics surrounding drug use; the effects of drugs on pregnant mothers and their babies; what one can do to help a friend or family member cope with a drug problem; and the issues surrounding the legalization of marijuana. Grainy black-and-white photographs do little to enhance the text, but the addition of graphs and tables and several resources for further research elevate this book beyond many others on this subject. The book concludes with drug profiles from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information 2002 Drugs of Abuse, which offer clear information about each class of drugs, particularly symptoms of use, abuse, and overdose. An unbiased presentation of the facts surrounding illicit drugs makes this book an excellent choice for general information as well as beginning research. Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Charts. Source Notes. Further Reading. VOYA Codes: 4Q 3P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Twenty-First Century, 160p,— Heather Hepler