Sage Publications Drug and Alcohol Studies (Sage Library of Health and Social Welfare Series)

The field of drug and alcohol studies has expanded rapidly in recent years, with estimates of at least a doubling in the number of publications in the past decades. A feature of this wide and multidisciplinary field is the tendency of sub-groups of scholars to operate within their disciplinary silos, paying only token attention to the contributions of others. There are also, naturally, significant differences in approaches of different countries, reflecting different policy frameworks and cultural perspectives. When faced with these challenges to comprehensive study, a publication such as this new six-volume collection - which aims to bring together the various disparate strands of the topic, including key articles written by scholars from across the globe, disciplines and decades - truly proves itself to be a unique and valuable resource for specialist students and researchers in the field. Volume One: Historical and Cultural studies Volume Two: Theoretical Perspectives Volume Three: Methods and Measurements Volume Four: Policy Approaches Volume Five: Interventions Volume Six: Current Trends, Continuing Issues and New Challenges Review "Betsy Thom and Susanne MacGregor have done the sterling service of compiling an excellent selection of the classic papers in the addiction field for the illumination of its students and practitioners. These volumes deserve to be in the library of any university or organisation that is active in the addictions field. They should also be read by any social scientist or humanities scholar with than interest in the field of drug studies and addiction." -- Professor Wayne Hall Published On: 2013-04-29 "This collection of addiction science articles is launched at the right time.  It will be an obligatory companion for students in the increasing number of addiction science master or doctoral programs in the European universities.  The volumes give a panorama of the state of art of addiction science knowledge. The texts are inspiring by showing the multitude of questions and perspectives, the number of still unsolved questions, and the intellectual fantasy and transgressions of disciplinary boundaries needed for good addiction research. The article format stimulates the condensed and efficient presentation of ideas and findings, as already many of the titles show. It has an English language and culture bias. Still this will surely be a classical work, a document of the phase in addiction research, when it had reached a mature state, and before the global balance changed." -- Kerstin Stenius Published On: 2013-05-01 About the Author Susanne MacGregor is Professor Emerita at Middlesex University and a Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine University of London, where she is attached to the Centre for History in Public Health. She was a Scientific Advisor to the UK Department of Health for several years and coordinated their Drugs Misuse Research Initiative from 2000 to 2010. She has taught and researched in social anthropology, sociology, politics, social policy and health promotion in several universities, including Edinburgh University, Institute of Psychiatry, Birkbeck and Goldsmiths (all within the University of London). Publications include Dealing with Drug Misuse (1984), Drugs and British Society (1989), Drugs Services in England and the impact of the Central Funding Initiative (1991) Tackling Drugs Locally (1995) Exploring community responses to drugs (2004) and Responding to Drug Misuse (2010). She chaired the Social Policy and Administration and Social Work panel for the UK 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, has been Honorary Secretary to the Social Research Association and served on the boards of City Roads: crisis intervention and the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence. She is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Drug Policy. Betsy Thom is Professor of Health Policy at Middlesex University