This book untangles popular beliefs about substance abuse issues from historical, clinical and research evidence to address questions such as: What factors cause teenagers to abuse drugs and alcohol? How much of a role do economic factors and neighbourhoods play?
Following an introduction which outlines the social history of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin, the volume examines: individual, family, peer and community variables that contribute to substance misuse; resiliency factors that enable some adolescents to avoid such problems; substance abuse in rural and urban settings; pharmacological effects; and current treatment approaches.

A Select Social History of the Psychoactive Drugs - Thomas P Gullotta and Gary M Blau
Tobacco, Alcohol, Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin
Personal Factors Related to Substance Misuse - Elaine Norman
Risk Abatement and/or Resiliency Enhancement?
Family Variables Related to Adolescent Substance Misuse - Sandra Turner
Risk and Resiliency Factors
Social and Community Factors Associated with Drug Use and Abuse Among Adolescents - David F Duncan and Rick Petosa
Substance Use and Abuse among Urban Adolescents - Patricia Sivo Cole and Roger P Weissberg
Substance Misuse among Rural Adolescents - Fay E Reilly et al
Pharmacologic Aspects of Psychoactive Substances - Paul V Trad
Implications for Medical Management
Treating the Adolescent Drug Misuser - Annette U Rickel and Evvie Becker-Lausen
Minimization of Substance Abuse - Aleta V Meyer
What Can Be Said at this Point?
Social Policy and Adolescent Drug Consumption - Thomas Nicholson
The Legalization Option
Adolescent Substance Misuse - Thomas P Gullotta
Personal Reflections on a Theme