Addictive behaviors : readings on etiology prevention and treatment

The destructive power of addictions manifests itself in ill health effects, social and family problems, and economic and legal troubles. It is not surprising that the study of addictive behaviors in psychology has grown quickly in the 1990s. Psychologists' roles within this arena include researching the effects of drug action, studying the epidemiology and etiology of drug and alcohol abuse, developing and evaluating prevention and treatment programs, and studying the effects of drug policies on human behavior.