Pathways of addiction

Committee on Opportunities in Drug Abuse Research

Drug abuse persists as one of the most costly and contentious problems on the nation's agenda. Pathways of Addiction meets the need for a clear and thoughtful national research agenda that will yield the greatest benefit from today's limited resources. The committee makes its recommendations within a public health framework, and incorporates diverse fields of inquiry and a range of policy positions. It examines both the demand and supply aspects of drug abuse. Pathways of Addiction offers a fact-filled, highly readable examination of drug abuse issues in the United States, describing findings and outlining research needs in the areas of behavioral and neurobiological foundations of drug abuse. The book covers the epidemiology and etiology of drug abuse and discusses several of its most troubling health and social consequences, including HIV, violence, and harm to children. It examines the efficacy of different prevention interventions and the many advances that have been made in treatment research in the past 20 years. Approaches to drug treatment in the criminal justice setting and the effectiveness of drug treatment under managed care are also examined.