This encyclopaedia from the author of The Alchemy of Culture: Intoxicants in Society, covers the range of naturally occurring psychoactive species and a number of man-made synthetic drugs and compounds. It explores the use of psychoactive substances historically and geographically, from the probable use of intoxicating plants by Neanderthal Man through to the role of hallucinogens and narcotics in contemporary youth culture. It provides basic details on the botany and chemistry of intoxicants and examines their influence at all levels of our culture and society. The book also looks at the controversy surrounding issues such as legalization and details the legal classification of illicit substances alongside additional relevant information on detection, prevention, punishment and other criminological subjects.