Worldwide, as many as 50 million people report using amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) in the previous year. Evidence about patterns of use, effects, and associated risks is accumulating, but our understanding of the contexts of use, and implications for intervention, is still developing. Many treatment services report difficulties engaging and retaining people affected by ATS-related problems in treatment. The evidence base for effective treatment is still in relative infancy.
In this book the pharmacology of ATS, social contexts and meanings of use, associated risk taking, and potential harms for the individual consumer and his or her family and community are described. The experiences and views of consumers, a parent, a police officer, and frontline emergency- and health-service staff are offered. The emerging evidence base for law enforcement, prevention, and clinical responses to ATS use and related harms is explored. The book concludes with a clinical focus, in which brief and opportunistic interventions, engagement and retention in treatment, stepped-care approaches, and responses to the specific needs of people with co-existing mental-health problems and same sex-attracted or gender diverse people, are addressed. While each chapter stands alone, the book can be read as a series of perspectives on related issues. Case studies are a feature of the book.
With this book the editors and specialist contributors seek to promote better understanding of and more effective responses to ATS in a broad range of contexts, reducing risk and harms for individuals, families, and the broader community. |
