Medical-Legal Aspects of Drugs, Second Edition

Drug use is at least aaas long standing as recorded history. Many centuries ago, humans - as well as some animal species - discovered medicinal and intoxicant properties of a variety of plants. As predicted in the first edition of Medical-Legal Aspects of Drugs, drug use continues to be a problem but there have been significant changes. Drugs of choice and use trends have changed and new issues have surfaced. Drug options have expanded with the discovery and re-discoveries of intoxicating plant materials and the development of new compounds in both legal and illegal laboratories. The use and abuse of drugs will continue. Medical-Legal Aspects of Drugs addresses the challenge of this dynamic and pervasive problem with accurate, cutting-edge information from acknowledged experts. You'll learn about psychoactive drugs, effects of various kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal, on behavior, and the development of anxiolytics, antidepressants, and antihistamines. These medications, which are effective treatments for depression, insomnia, anxiety, chronic allergic rhinitis, and numerous other disorders, hae become popular as raw materials or as intoxicants themselves, producing a host of new issues and problems to be addressed. Drug use in the workplace, in schools, and in atletics continues to be a widespread problem. You will learn about the effects of drug use on employee performance in the workplace or school. You will also learn about the effects of doping by athletes as they seek improved performance. The drug detection methods and the legal issues surrounding the practice of mandatory testing for drugs are discussed. Drug use is often linked with criminal activity, including driving under the influence, dealing, manufacture, theft, assault, child opr spousal abuse, murder, and other crimes. Drug-related offenses fill our courts, the perpetrators populate our jails, and their crimes devaste families, schools, and communities. This b