The misuse of both illicit and licit drugs is widespread. Drugs, either legally prescribed or illegally supplied, including alcohol and tobacco have the potential for being misused. The second edition of 'Symptoms and Signs of Substance Misuse' is a handy pocket-sized reference, which provides an up-to-date, accessible and authoritative guide to symptoms of treatment for many of the most commonly encountered substances such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabis, alcohol and ectasy. Although compact, the book contains enough concise and authoritative information to satisfy all hospital doctors, general practitioners, healthcare personnel, police and police surgeons. For each class of compounds there is a short description of their mechanism of action, uses, legal category, method of administration and the symptoms and signs of intoxication, together with guidance on treatment. This book will also provide a useful introduction to any non-medical reader who is interested in the substance misuse of drugs. For those who want more details, a reading list of suitable texts is given in this book. Symptoms and Signs of Substance Misuse is a small and very comprehensive book focused on various drugs misused. In the introduction the authors state that the misuse of both illicit and licit drugs are widespread. The objective of the book is to provide concise and readily accessible information about the symptoms and signs associated with the most commonly misused drug groups to assist healthcare professionals, employers, police, parents, teachers, partners or friends in identifying whether drugs are being misused. The authors start by giving an overview of statutes and legal requirements for drugs in England and Wales. This section is followed by a description of medical and health complications of substance misuse. The book is mainly devoted to substance detection, both qualitative and quantitative. Summary of information on various drug groups is given. Details of information on each drug group include principal drug and derivatives, manufacture, mechanism of action, medical uses, legal status in England and Wales, methods of administration, symptoms and management. This section is full of information and can be very applicable for professionals such as doctors on call but may be difficult to read for teachers, partners and friends. The technical style may also may make it hard to understand for certain sections such as police officers. Altogether this book stands out as a comprehensive and accessible guide to those working, especially in the health care sector, with substance misuse. The small size also make it possible to bring the book with you. The book is full of information and in order to really being able to use it in practice, some prior knowledge of drugs is required.
