Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy

The fifth edition of the essential, accessible source for understanding how drugs work and their effects on body and behaviour. With nearly a quarter of a million copies sold in its four previous editions, Buzzed is revised and updated with recent discoveries about drugs. It includes new information about biological and behavioural changes from addiction, the prescription- drug- abuse epidemic, distinctive drug effects on the adolescent brain, and trends from opioids to e- cigarettes to marijuana, both natural and synthetic.

“Lively, highly informative, unbiased, [and] thorough” (Addiction Research & Theory), Buzzed surveys drugs from caffeine to heroin to methamphetamine. In both quick-reference summaries and in-depth analysis, it reports on how these drugs enter the body, how they manipulate the brain, their short- and long-term effects, the different "highs" they produce, and the circumstances in which they can be deadly.

Neither a “Just Say No” treatise nor a “How to” manual, Buzzed is based on the conviction that people make better decisions with accurate information at hand.

"[Buzzed] is written in no-nonsense narrative prose which commendably simplifies complex neurochemistry without unduly sacrificing accuracy.… A good update on neuropharmacology for the layman."
- National Drug Strategy Network

"This is a well-written and well-organized book that is highly recommended for health care professionals, health educators, and even parents."
- Dr. Charles E Yesalis, professor of health policy and administration at Penn State University and coeditor of Performance Enhancing Substances in Sport and Exercise

"Students need clear, detailed, comprehensive factual information in order to make smart decisions, and Buzzed provides it all in an easy-to-understand format. What a great resource!"
- Ellen Gold, former chair of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Task Force at the American College Health Association

"A well-written book that dispels some of the myths associated with drug abuse. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a readable, factual account of the physiological and behavioral effects of drugs of abuse."
- Dr. Charles Schuster, director of clinical research on substance abuse at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse

"Buzzed is one of the most important books I’ve ever read.… So comprehensive and so readable that I recommend everybody who’s interested in this area—kids who are taking drugs, parents, professionals… and, most of all, politicians and legislators—to read it."
- Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting

"A unique, up-to-date, and useful source for all those interested in the workings of and effects of legal and illegal drugs, regardless of whether you are a concerned mother or Irvine Welsh!"
- The British Psychological Society

"Lively, highly informative, unbiased, thorough, and nothing but straight talking on an issue which is often condemned without being fully understood or sufficiently explained to our youth. Its breadth of scope yet clarity of detail place this book in contention for the coveted title of the ‘only drug book you’ll ever need.’ I have not read a fuller, more illuminating text on the influence of drugs on physical and psychological functioning."
- Christopher Russell, research fellow at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Drug Misuse Research

"Well written and easy to read. [Buzzed] could be used as a resource to be consulted, dipped into simply for interest’s sake, or read from cover to cover.… If you are looking for an up-to-date, accessible source of information regarding drugs of abuse, this book would be a good starting point."
- The Ulster Medical Journal