Series Foreword
While many books have been written about the prevalence and perils of recrea-
tional drug use, what about the wide variety of chemicals Americans ingest to
help them heal or to cope with mental and physical issues? These therapeutic
drugs—whether prescription or over-the-counter (OTC), generic or brand
name—play a critical role in both the U.S. healthcare system and American
society at large. This series explores major classes of such drugs, examining
them from a variety of perspectives, including scientific, medical, economic,
legal, and cultural.
For the sake of clarity and consistency, each book in this series follows the
same format.
We begin with a fictional case study bringing to life the significance of this
particular class of drug. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the class as a whole,
including discussion of different subtypes, as well as basic information about
the conditions such drugs are meant to treat. The history and evolution of
these drugs is discussed in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 explores how the drugs work
in the body at a cellular level, while Chapter 5 examines the large-scale impacts
of such substances on the body and how such effects can be beneficial in differ-
ent situations. Dangers such as side effects, drug interactions, misuse, abuse,
and overdose are highlighted in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 focuses on how this par-
ticular class of drugs is produced, distributed, and regulated by state and
federal governments. Chapter 8 addresses professional and popular attitudes
and beliefs about the drug, as well as representations of such drugs and their
users in the media. We wrap up with a consideration of the drug’s possible
future, including emerging controversies and trends in research and use, in
Chapter 9.
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