Extensive changes have been incorporated in this fifth edition of Drug and Alcohol Abuse: A Clinical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment, even though the basic structure is similar to prior versions of this text. To help the reader stay current with the most recent developments in the field, an estimated 70% of the references offered here are new and were published since 1994. Especially worthy of note are complete revisions of data on epidemiology and extensive updating focusing on new developments in pharmacology. An emphasis has been placed on incorporating any new developments in treatment, and, reflecting the availabili ty of important new findings, a new chapter has been added on prevention. One thing that hasn''t changed is the overall goal of this series. Drug and Alcohol Abuse: A Clinical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment is structured to be useful in several settings. First, a clinician can use the information regarding the pattern of problems asso ciated with categories of drugs as a guide while making decisions in emergency situations. Second, readers interested in treatment can reevaluate what they consider to be the most ap propriate efforts as part of their ongoing therapeutic protocols. Finally, the background data offered on each category of drugs as well as the extensive references given at the end of each chapter will help people considering entering the alcohol and drug field or those tak ing university courses on substance use disorders to learn more about these important healthcare problems.
