Barbiturates and Other Depressants (Understanding Drugs)

Adamec, Christine

ISBN 10: 1604135344 ISBN 13: 9781604135343

Publisher: Chelsea House Publications, 2012

Synopsis

Barbiturates are central nervous system depressants that are sedating and sleep-inducing, giving users a "hypnotic" feeling. They are used as anesthetics or to treat epilepsy, insomnia, anxiety, or severe headaches. Benzodiazepines, another type of central nervous system depressant, are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and epilepsy. Benzodiazepines and barbiturates are highly addictive and are sometimes illegally abused. When used improperly, they can cause death. Barbiturates and Other Depressants provides important information on the nature and chemistry of these drugs, their effects, abuse, addiction, and addiction treatment.

Chapters include:

-An Overview
-Historical Overview
-How Barbiturates Work
-Barbiturate Abuse and Addiction
-Addiction Treatment and Recovery
-Barbiturates and the Law.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Understanding Drugs provides a fact-based look at many of drugs that teens encounter, explains how they work, and identifies the risks and benefits of using them. Each title spotlights a drug of abuse or a treatment drug. Written in straightforward language, the books break down the biological and chemical processes relevant to each drug, explains the history of the drug, discusses the risks of using or abusing it, and guides readers toward reliable help for dealing with a drug-related problem. The Understanding Drugs series provides concise guides for high school students to the science, history, social issues, and health issues connected to common legal and illegal drugs.

This series is appropriate for high school students, health teachers, and counselors.

Dramatic "you-are-there" case studies help show how drugs impact on real life, and sidebars offer supplementary facts, compelling statistics, and historical information.

About the Author:

Christine Adamec is a medical writer with more than 24 books and numerous medical articles to her credit. She has ghostwritten six medical self-help books for physicians on topics such as arthritis, back pain, and migraines. She is the author or coauthor of The Encyclopedia of Addictions and Addictive Behaviors, The Encyclopedia of Adoption, The Encyclopedia of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, The Encyclopedia of Diabetes, and The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse, all for Facts On File. For Chelsea House, she has written Impulse Control Disorders and Pathological Gambling in the Psychological Disorders series. Adamec is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She lives in Florida.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chelsea House Publications
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1604135344
• ISBN 13: 9781604135343
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 117
• Editor: Triggle David J