Cocaine Abuse: New Directions in Treatment and Research

By now, everyone knows that cocaine use and addiction have become epidemic and treatment is multifactorial and very difficult. The cocaine epidemic began in the early-to-mid 1970s, but the books about it have been written in the late 1980s. In this book, edited by Spitz and Rosecan, studies and theories are presented by ten Columbia University authors to enhance the readers' understanding of this complex addiction. This "Columbia" book is divided into four sections, the first of which is a historical overview of cocaine use through the ages. It contains interesting details ranging from the ritual use by the Incas in the 15th century to the self-experiments and wonder treatments proposed by Sigmund Freud.

The neurobiochemical aspects as well as the cognitive and behavioral aspects are addressed in the second section. It is here that clinical research studies are offered to support what these treating physicians have experienced clinically. The