This compact and innovative book tackles one of the central issues in drug policy: the lack of a coherent conceptual
structure for thinking about drugs. Drugs generally fall into one of seven categories: prescription, over the counter,
alternative medicine, common-use drugs like alcohol, tobacco and caffeine; religious-use, sports enhancement; and
of course illegal street drugs like cocaine and marijuana. Our thinking and policies varies wildly from one to
the other, with inconsistencies that derive more from cultural and social values than from medical or scientific
facts. Penalties exist for steroid use, while herbal remedies or cold medication are legal. Native Americans may
legally use peyote, but others may not. Penalties may vary for using different forms of the same drug, such as
crack vs. powder cocaine. Herbal remedies are unregulated by the FDA; but medical marijuana is illegal in most
states.
Battin and her contributors lay a foundation for a wiser drug policy by promoting consistency and coherency in
the discussion of drug issues and by encouraging a unique dialogue across disciplines. The contributors are an
interdisciplinary group of scholars mostly based at the University of Utah, and include a pharmacologist, a psychiatrist,
a toxicologist, a trial court judge, a law professor, an attorney, a diatary specialist, a physician, a health
expert on substance abuse, and Battin herself who is a philosopher. They consider questions like the historical
development of current policy and the rationales for it; scientific views on how drugs actually cause harm; how
to define the key notions of harm and addiction; and ways in which drug policy can be made more consistent. They
conclude with an examination of the implications of a consistent policy for various disciplines and society generally.
The book is written accessibly with little need for expert knowledge, and will appeal to a diverse audience of
philosophers, bioethicists, clinicians, policy makers, law enforcement, legal scholars and practitioners, social
workers, and general readers, as well as to students in areas like pharmacy, medicine, law, nursing, sociology,
social work, psychology, and bioethics.