Symptoms and Signs of Substance Misuse / Edition 3

by Margaret Stark, Jason Payne-James, Michael Scott-Ham

Overview

The misuse of both legally prescribed and illegally supplied drugs is now so widespread that it affects, either directly or indirectly, a high proportion of the population, impacting many areas of daily life. There are few countries that are not touched by some aspect of substance misuse and the consequences for individuals, families and the wider community can be devastating.

The third edition of Symptoms and Signs of Substance Misuse has been completely updated and revised, continuing to provide trusted information from leading experts.

• Basic principles of treatment for the most commonly encountered substances—from tobacco and alcohol to cocaine and heroin, as well as 'designer' drugs
• The legal aspects of substance misuse highlighted throughout
• Convenient A-Z format helps you find information at a glance
• References and further reading direct you to more authoritative information about each substance

With specialist information clearly explained along with a full glossary, this handy pocket-sized book is essential for all health professionals needing a concise and up-to-date overview of the signs and symptoms of substance misuse as well as the management and treatment options available. Junior hospital doctors, emergency department staff, primary care teams, community workers and counsellors will find this text invaluable. The book is also an excellent resource for police officers as well as a quick reference guide for professionals involved in setting up and managing drug and alcohol policies in organisations and businesses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781444181746
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/16/2014
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Margaret Stark LLM MSc (Med Ed), FFFLM, FACBS, FHEA, FACLM, FRCP, DGM, DMJ, DAB
Consultant Forensic Physician; Director of the Clinical Forensic Medicine Unit, NSW Police Force, Sydney, Australia; Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine of The University of Sydney; Founding Academic Dean of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London

Jason Payne-James LLM, MSc, FFFLM, FFSSoc, FRCS(Ed & Eng), DFM Mediator
Jason Payne-James qualified in medicine in 1980 at the University of London. He is Honorary Senior Lecturer at Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences, Barts & the London School of Medicine & Dentistry, UK. He is external Consultant to the UK National Crime Agency. He has been a Forensic Medical Examiner for the Metropolitan Police Service for over two decades. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Forensic & Legal Medicine. Forensic medicine clinical and research interests include healthcare of detainees, deaths, harm and near misses in custody, drugs and alcohol.

Michael Scott-Ham BSc, MFSSoc
Consultant Forensic Toxicologist; Committee Member of the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists, Member of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, Member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, Director of Principal Forensic Toxicology and Drugs Consultancy Ltd., London and Director of Principal Forensic Services Ltd, London

Table of Contents

Introduction. Routes of administration. Harm reduction and minimisation. Drugs, statutes and legal requirements. The medical and health complications of substance misuse. Suspected internal drug traffickers: drug stuffers and mules. Substance detection. Specific drugs. Alcohol. Aminoindanes, indoles and benzofurans. Amphetamine-type stimulants. Anabolic steroids. Barbiturates. Benzodiazepines. Cannabis. Cocaine. Ecstasy. γ-Hydroxybutyrate and related compounds. Ketamine. Khat. LSD. Nitrites. Opiates/opioids. Phencyclidine. Phenethylamines. Piperazines. Synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic cathinones. Tobacco. Tryptamines. Volatile substances. ‘Z’ drugs. Appendices. Glossary. Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, revised (CIWA-Ar). Alcohol assessment questionnaires: Brief MAST, CAGE and AUDIT. Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale. Further reading/resources. Index.

Editorial Reviews

3 Stars from Doody

This handbook includes concise information on commonly abused drugs, including exact composition, street names, mechanism of action, symptoms and signs of intoxication, and treatment (if any) of intoxication and/or dependence. The purpose is to provide "readily accessible facts" about the symptoms and signs of commonly abused drugs. The objective is worthy and appears to have been accomplished in this publication. This handbook is intended to serve as a reference for doctors, healthcare professionals, employers, parents, teachers, partners, or friends of persons who may be abusing drugs. The inclusion of the current statutes in England and Wales (which is a significant part of the handbook as six pages are devoted to this topic) makes this handbook most useful for readers in that region. According to my judgment, this handbook is not particularly useful for physicians, but may serve as a good resource for the other groups stated above. We have no information on the authors, thus I cannot state whether the authors are indeed credible authorities on the subject, although the information with which I am familiar appears to be accurate. The table of contents is easy to read as are the glossary and index of terms for the nonmedical reader. The section on Useful Contacts should be helpful for the readers. The references provided are current. I believe that the most useful part of this handbook for physicians is the Index of Common Drug Street Names. The summary of drug information section is organized well. This publication will be most useful for nonhealthcare professionals in England and Wales. The Index of Common Street Names will be helpful for medical professionals. Otherwise, Ifound that the information provided for commonly abused drugs such as alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, or opiates did not increase my current knowledge, and if I were to suspect some of the other substances of abuse in a patient I was treating, I would want more detailed information than that provided in the handbook.

Anita D. Misra