Substance Abuse
Title: Can you help me find information about drugs? I'm also looking for stuff on tobacco and alcohol (which I guess are drugs too, right?) Where are some places I can go to find out about things like effects, laws, or prevention information?
Information: Hi! Thanks for writing the Virtual Reference Desk. We get lots of questions about drugs, including alcohol and tobacco (which ARE drugs ). The first place you might look is in an encyclopedia, either in print or on-line, to get some information to start with. Also try some online databases for magazine and newspaper articles for the most current information, such as changes in the law. Be sure to ask your librarian for more sources in your library; there are usually quite a few right there. Below are some general websites on drugs, then some more specific sites in categories such as addiction, prevention, alcohol, etc. Categories: General: Drugs/Narcotics The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information This site has general information about alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs. http://www.health.org/ The Merck Manual A famous, widely used medical text for information about drugs and diseases. Enter the "official" drug name (no slang here ) in the search box for best results. http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/ The Centre for Recovery (United Kingdom ) Excellent source of basic information on the classes of drugs, including a Q and A. http://www.recovery.org.uk/ Partnership for a Drug-Free America Many resources on every type of drug; click on "drug information" for links to a specific drug or class of drugs. http://www.drugfreeamerica.org/ National Institute on Drug Abuse Specific information on different drugs. http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugAbuse.html Straight Facts about Drugs and Alcohol This site is from the National Clearinghouse on Drug and Alcohol Information and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. A "just the facts" page that defines specific drugs such as crack, marijuana, and methamphetamine. It also lists its short and long-term effects, with some stats. You can read or choose the option of listening to the publication. http://www.health.org/govpubs/rpo884/ Indiana Prevention Resource Center: Click on "Publications" and then "Factline" to view articles on specific drugs. http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/index.html KidsHealth This site has a kids section and a teen section to explore. Or, you can put a search term such as drugs or alcohol for specific articles and fact sheets. http://kidshealth.org/ Drug InfoNet Drug InfoNet is a WWW drug site more focused on pharmaceutical or prescription drugs than illegal ones. They provide both information and links to areas on the web concerning healthcare and pharmaceutical-related topics. http://www.druginfonet.com/ Prevention: The Prevention Primer A well-organized, topic-centered site for drug prevention information. Many references are included. This resource is geared especially for prevention practitioners http://www.health.org/govpubs/phd627/toc.aspx Addiction: Web of Addictions Information on drug addictions. http://www.well.com/user/woa/index.html Join Together Online This website is sponsored by Join Together Online, which is a national resource for communities working to reduce substance abuse and gun violence. Great source for news articles. http://www.jointogether.org/sa/ Stimulants: (Amphetamines, Speed, Crack, Cocaine, etc. ) If you have access to the Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs by Chelsea house, there is a book in the set titled "Amphetamines". ADA Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse : Missouri Dept. of Health This page has a fact sheet on the basics of stimulants. http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsstim.htm Methamphetamine: Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse Fact Sheet from the Office of National Drug Control Policy Statement describes effects of methamphetamine usage, prevalence, consequences, etc. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/methamph/ Designer Drugs (sometimes known as Club Drugs ): These can include LSD (Acid ), MDMA (Ecstasy ), GHB, GBL, Ketamine (Special-K )Fentanyl, Rohypnol, and methamphetamine. Drug-Free Resource Net A subdivision of the drugfreeamerica website, this page clearly defines designer drugs and gives examples. http://www.drugfreeamerica.org/ Inhalants National Inhalant Prevention Coalition Web site provides information about inhalants and FAQ's. In English and Espanol. http://www.inhalants.org/ Tobacco: On the Teen Scene: A transcript of an interview with FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D with some teenagers as guests about kids and smoking, sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/196_smok.html Center for Disease Control: Smoking Contains various articles on smoking and its effects. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ You may also want to contact the American Cancer Society, American Lung Society, or the oncology specialists in your area for further information. Alcohol: Al-Anon and Ala-Teen AL-ANON (and ALATEEN for younger members ) is a worldwide organization that offers a self-help recovery program for families and friends of alcoholics whether or not the alcoholic seeks help or even recognizes the existence of a drinking problem. http://www.al-anon-alateen.org/ National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism This page has many good resources. Click on the publication Alcohol Alert for a list of relevent articles on alcohol abuse. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/ S.Q.* *This FAQ is reproduced with permission of VRD's Learning Resource Centerhttp://www.vrd.askvrd.org *FAQ updated April 26, 2004 (Joyce W.)
Category: Substance Abuse