Synopses & Reviews
Drugs in American Society is a sociological introduction to the use of psychoactive substances in the United States that takes the focus of attention on drug use out of the lab and into the street. Throughout the book, personal accounts tell the stories of drug use and the impact that it has on the lives of users. The book also contrasts the image of drugs in society, particularly in the news media, and the reality of drug use itself.
About the Author
Erich Goode received his undergraduate education at Oberlin College and his Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University. He has taught at Columbia, New York University, Florida Atlantic University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is currently Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland. His areas of specialization are drug use, deviant behavior, criminology, and collective behavior. Professor Goode is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship.
Table of Contents
Preface
Part I DRUG USE: IMAGE AND REALITY
1) Drug Use: A Sociological Perspective 2) Drug Use: A Pharmacological Perspective 3) Drugs in the News Media
Part II METHODS, DATA, THEORIES
4) How Do We Know Its True? Methods of Research 5) Historical Trends in Drug Consumption 6) Theories of Drug Use
Part III DRUGS AND THEIR USE
7) Alcohol and Tobacco 8) Marijuana, LSD, and Club Drugs 9) Stimulants: Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Crack 10) Heroin and the Narcotics 11) The Pharmaceutical Neuroleptics: Sedatives, Hypnotics, Tranquilizers, Antipsychotics, and Antidepressants
Part IV CRIME AND DRUG CONTROL
12) Controlling Drug Use: The Historical Context 13) Drugs and Crime: Whats the Connection? 14) The Illicit Drug Industry 15) Law Enforcement, Drug Courts, Drug Treatment 16) Legalization, Decriminalization, and Harm Reduction
Concluding Thoughts
Glossary
References