The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy (Fully Revised and Updated Fourth Edition)

Very detailed and well organized book. Unbiased straight facts recommend for anyone trying to stay safe! Contains everything thing to know about many drugs and overall general knowledge about how the body works.

Great book for your teenagers. I did naughty stuff when I was young but this is no nonsense correct info that any young person should know. If they will not believe you (and most teens don't) then maybe they'll believe the good Doctor. I preach the truth in all things and trying to "scare them straight" never worked on me.

Excellent book- explained materials well, easy to read, straight to the point. Would recommend for anyone interested in the psychobiology of recreational drugs. I used the book for a course and it was very informative.

This book has some useful information, but it is definitely NOT just the straight facts. I've even found some information that was wrong or written in a very misleading way. I have a doctorate in pharmacy, so I have well beyond the typical reader's knowledge on drugs. I think the author has an agenda and it's not just giving information.

Great book on the way different chemicals/drugs affect the mind and body. I liked the very objective, scientific approach to the topic of drug use. No judgement, no religion, no hate, no shame; just facts. I have the 2nd edition and just bought the 4th. This one seems to be much more stylish (font, page style) than the 2nd edition with a little more information. Great read

"Buzzed" is written in an easy to read format, without a lot of unnecessary technical jargon. The specific terminology that has been used has, in many cases, been defined for the reader. The information is well organized and gives a good broad overview of each drug. It is an excellent reference book to keep around.

I enjoyed this book, it was quite informative, and I learned a lot from it. This book does a good job of giving you the straight up facts in a way that even college students such as myself can understand. It has the appearance of giving everything a fair outlook without any bias, telling you exactly what drugs do to your brain and body, the differences between the drugs, and etc.
A word of warning, though. This book speaks only of physical harm and what drugs can do and does not give as much enlightenment on the danger of mental and emotional harm of different drugs. Even if certain drugs don't have any physical dangers from overdose or withdrawal doesn't mean they aren't dangerous and it certainly doesn't make them healthy.
That being said, this was a good book and was very clear. I'd definitely recommend it to someone who doesn't know much about drugs and wants to enlighten themselves on the basic knowledge behind each of the different kinds.

The field of addiction treatment and recovery is constantly changing. Research is continually finding new information regarding drugs and brain chemistry and the street is finding new ways to exploit that information. The authors of Buzzed have done a quality job of laying out the classes and effects of drugs of abuse. They present new data in a manner that will appeal to a wide audience. Buzzed coherently explains the brain chemistry issues that are involved in pleasure seeking behaviors that lead to the abuse of substances and it also brings many of the legal issues to light. As an addiction professional I highly recommend Buzzed. The great cover design is an added bonus. Dr. Michael J. De Vito, Program Director, NewStart Treatment Center, Henderson, NV. Author-Addiction: The Master Keys to Recovery

Highly, highly recommend this book. I shared it with my son several years ago and it immediately changed his view on drugs, as it helped him realize what they were doing to his body. Now he's no longer using those drugs, is a vegan, very healthy and fit.

While growing up my parents never taught me much about drugs and their effects. I was always told that drugs are bad and to stay away from them. That may have been easy for them to do, but I think it's hard for kids today to do so. Drugs are everywhere. All over the streets, in schools, homes, even on TV. Because I was not properly informed of the effects and consequences of these substances, I chose to experiment with almost any drug I crossed. This book is right on and the closest thing to actual experimentation I have found. It does not condemn drugs, nor does it try to make them sound appealing. It merely states the facts. I highly recommend, if you are a parent, that you read this and then to pass it on to your children.

While growing up my parents never taught me much about drugs and their effects. I was always told that drugs are bad and to stay away from them. That may have been easy for them to do, but I think it's hard for kids today to do so. Drugs are everywhere. All over the streets, in schools, homes, even on TV. Because I was not properly informed of the effects and consequences of these substances, I chose to experiment with almost any drug I crossed. This book is right on and the closest thing to actual experimentation I have found. It does not condemn drugs, nor does it try to make them sound appealing. It merely states the facts. I highly recommend, if you are a parent, that you read this and then to pass it on to your children.

Everyone should own this book, especially those who have teen/young adult kids or who are teens/young adults.
And all high school libraries and college dorms should have this book on hand.
I bought the previous two editions and was happy to find this update.

As my review title states, this book targets an audience - one that wants to be well informed about drugs that are used and abused in our society.
What sets this book apart from so many others (most notably government-issued literature about recreational drugs) is that its language isn't dry, bureaucratic, and unappealing. Instead, the authors have successfully made their points about the uses and abuses of recreational drugs without boring the reader into submission. A book of this nature that is actually entertaining and enlightening to read is a breakthrough!
My one qualm with the book was with its lack of relevant informaton on steroids, which are definitely a drug that have been, and will continue to be, highly abused by many people the world over. The chapter on this drug class was brief and should have included more information about steroids from a user's point of view. However, it's worth noting that my library-issued copy was the 1998 version of the book, which has since been updated.
So, I have given this book a strong reveiw because, frankly, it deserves it; I was able to read the book cover to cover in about a day and a half without feeling any boredom. As a result I feel better informed and more confident with my knowledge about recreational drugs.

Some folks reviewing this book don't seem to understand the purpose for which the book was intended: This is a general consumer book with "straight facts" from Ph.D.s in pharmacology and chemistry on "the most used and abused drugs." This isn't intended to be comprehensive. It it certainly isn't about grandstanding as some tool in the "war on drugs." The motto in this book is "Just say Know."

The authors candidly observe, for example, that it's practically impossible to overdose on marijuana. There's no "Reefer Madness" in this text. And alcohol, caffeine and nicotine certainly qualify as abused drugs in this day and age. The substances that are covered include those above and Ecstasy (MDMA), various hallucinogens (LSD, mushrooms, peyote, etc.), so-called "herbal drugs", various inhalants (nitrous oxide and psychotoxics), marijuana, opiates, sedatives in general and stimulants in general. The chapters on "Drug Basics," "Brain Basics" and "Legal Issues" were straightforward and concise.

I work principally in law enforcement and use this book along with the Drug Identification Bible as resource literature in helping local kids with presentations. One of the authors, Dr. Wilkie Wilson, has been a TV Dateline expert and wonderful spokesperson for being informed about the risks of drug use.

This book finally delivers an unbiased, objective view of drugs, drug use and the dangers associated with different drugs - legal or illegal. This is the kind of information that kids in schools need and people involved in treatment and education should have access to. Drugs should not be "lumped" together - they are not all equally dangerous and the "Just say no" philosophy simply is not working in today's atmosphere of prescription drug use and overuse. The fact is that prescription pain killers are causing more addiction and deaths than all of the illegal drugs combined. When there is money to be made on a drug, the potential of abuse and risk of death to people are not considered as much, and good information is simply lacking.

Understanding how drugs and alcohol work on the human body is an ongoing mystery for many people, whether citizens, students, or professionals working with drug/alcohol issues. Many traditional approaches include moralistic perspectives which, while helpful for some purposes, are not part of the human body's processing of these substances! BUZZED provides the facts, stripped of their moral and legal connotations, about how drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other substances work on the human body. BUZZED is refreshing in that it explains, with the best understanding that we have today, HOW drugs work on the body, and WHY they work the way they do.
Refreshingly, BUZZED provides this information in a way which helps the reader understand these facts. The book provides an understanding of why people generally feel the way they do when using various substances, and provides information about the various dangers that may be associated.
I believe the book will be helpful for people of all ages and all walks of life. While many of the biochemical principles and details underlying substance use and abuse are extremely complex, BUZZED takes these and makes them understandable.
I find it particularly helpful to see this emphasis upon the brain chemistry, and how drugs are linked to the neurotransmitters that we are increasingly coming to understand and respect. My only critique of the book is that I wish it included references for further reading and more detailed elaboration.
I anticipate that drug and alcohol education approaches, such as those emphasized in BUZZED, will come to represent the best approaches to helping people, particularly young people, understand and respect these substances to a greater degree. I think it provides great promise for future changes in how we understand drugs and alcohol, and how we address this important issue as the United States and as a world culture.
David Anderson, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Center for the Advancement of Public Health, George Mason University - Fairfax, VA

In a time where literature on illegal substance is usually limited to propaganda either for or against drugs, their legalization, etc.., this book provides a refreshing, unbiased account. The knowledge it provides on a drug's different effects on the body, the brain, one's emotional well-being, and its addictive potential prove to be invaluable. This is not a crusade against the use of substances, but it does not seek to glorify their use. Anyone planning on experimenting with any drug should at least read this book first. It allows an individual to weigh the risks from a more educated point of view as it dispels myths and delivers what it says it will: the straight facts.
I would urge everyone involved in this area from policy makers to other students to buy this book and read it. I finished it in two days, and I'm a better-informed, more careful thinker because of it.
Don't go to a party without it.

As a college professor at Delgado in New Orleans, La., I found the book to be very informative and fact based for anyone interested in substance abuse and/or addictions. I am using this book as a text for a class entitled "Introduction to Substance Abuse". The authors are clear, concise and discuss various drugs (including alcohol) at differing levels of use. This is an excellent text book for those preparing to enter the prevention and treatment fields. If you are expecting to read that "all drugs are bad", and other typical statements, this book will not appease you. It has value for the professional interested in the field as well as the parent who may simply wish to be better informed on the current trends in the world of drugs and alcohol. Warren J. Perret,BSCW/BCSAC

I am a deputy sheriff in a Southern California county of more than 2.5 million residents. For 3 years I have been educating children and adults about the dangers of drugs. Finding complete, factual information about drugs commonly abused was not an easy task. My search was complete when I read "BUZZED." No scare tactics, no outdated statistics, and complete information in both easy to understand language as well as scientific details. I believe it should be used as both a textbook and a reference source by law enforcement, educators and health care professionals. Since reading the book I have had the opportunity to speak to the authors who I find very accessible, knowledgeable and motivated to educate. I hope they will continue their research and I look forward to further editions.

As a police officer (and Drug Recognition Expert), I found this book excellent. It provides real insight on both the scientific level and street use/abuse of some of the most common drugs. Each drug category is covered and special emphasis is given to particularly common drugs found on the street.
It breaks down each of these and discusses numerous aspects of the drugs: brief history, common/slang names, discussion on who the typical user would most likely be and in what setting, addictive potential, description of effects, potential side effects and overdose information. The authors write in a good style that ANYONE can relate to (without being talked down to). It does it in a style that is not judgemental but tries to remain nuetral for informational purposes.
Very insightful and highly recommended for anyone wishing to be better informed about drugs.

This book is a decent reference, but gets all the facts wrong concerning GHB. "Buzzed" vehemently insists that GHB is toxic, apparently oblivious to the many scientific papers written on this dietary supplement during its thirty plus-year history describing it as a remarkably safe pharmacological agent. See Ward Dean's excellent book "GHB: The Natural Mood Enhancer" for the facts. It's a shame, because "Buzzed" endeavors to provide a rational alternative to the demonization of drugs in our society. This is a noble goal, and a practical one as well. Too bad the authors didn't do their research.

For being a scholarly text on the effect of drugs on both body and brain, I was surprised when I couldn't put the book down! The approach of the authors (from Duke University Medical Center) is neither preachy nor permissive, just informative. The writing is scientific and accurate, but also very easy to understand. As an instructor for a college course on drugs of abuse, I am thrilled that such a book has been written and will use it in the future. I wish there was a source like this available when I was a teenager. I think this could be the most important book a parent could ever buy for their child.

though the people who have written this book have obviously done their homework and it is refreshing that they give you the facts rather that the 'just-say-no-dont-learn-just-do-what-we-say' propaganda, the claim that they are unbiased is somewhat decietful. most of the facts that are given about drugs are about their negative effects on the body, though this is helpful it still sends the message that drugs are simply bad for you no matter what without actually saying that.

Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse by Paul Gahlinger is a much better read on this topic. I can't believe they have the same average star rating.

The first chapter I read was on hallucinogens. I almost jumped straight to the computer to give it a one-star rating based solely on how incredibly biased and full of assumptions it is. But I decided to skim through the rest of the book and found out that it has redeeming, accurate information about drugs in the other categories (still buffered with bias, but not as bad as hallucinogenic chapter), which upped it a star.

This book wants to scare you about hallucinogens - lets call them for what they are: entheogens. From Wikipedia:
"An entheogen is a psychoactive substance used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Entheogens can supplement many diverse practices for transcendence, and revelation, including meditation, psychonautics, psychedelic and visionary art, psychedelic therapy, and magic."

We don't hear any talk like this in Buzzed. Have these authors even taken the "drugs" which they write about? Of course not. They are scarey and dangerous! The authors have a traditional, distorted view of entheogens. Their excerpt from the LSD creator, Albert Hoffman, is laughable, out of context, and not representative of Hoffman's view of LSD at all. Let's try a more accurate quote from Mr. Hoffman's book LSD, My Problem Child:

"The true importance of LSD and related hallucinogens lies in their capacity to shift the wavelength setting of the receiving "self," and thereby to evoke alterations in reality consciousness. This ability to allow different, new pictures of reality to arise, this truly cosmogonic power, makes the cultish worship of hallucinogenic plants as sacred drugs understandable."

"I see the true importance of LSD in the possibility of providing material aid to meditation aimed at the mystical experience of a deeper, comprehensive reality. Such a use accords entirely with the essence and working character of LSD as a sacred drug."

For its immature stance on entheogens, this book deserves to get banished from the earth until they update that chapter with a more comprehensive look at these substances. With the slew of scientific studies coming out lately in favor of psychedelics as having medical/psychological benefits (partially thanks to Marijuana legalization paving the way for other drugs to be looked at more seriously), we cannot allow this fear-inducing view of psychedelics to dominate much longer.

I am currently reading this and am about halfway through. It is a good unbiased book about drugs. The author doesn't say don't do them or to do them. It is easy to read for the most part and has a variety of different drugs to learn about. I don't understand why anyone would not like this book.

Its really hard to find a good introduction to the effects of abused drugs on the bookshelf. They're either too broad and general and more adsorbed in stastics and rhetoric then scientific details. This book is scientific enough yet comprehensible to a general audience. Superb Job.

I had this book along with chemical dependency for graduate drug class. I have used this book in my psychology and law enforcement professions and find it to be very easy to use and very informative. Great for those who want an easy read.

the Psychedelics Encyclopedia is so much better than this book, even though this book covers psychoactive substances other than Psychedelics, I find drug war propoganda in here. But what are they charging like ($) so in that case i suppose you might as well buy this.

This is a clearly written, not too stuffy book about drugs and their use. It is an informative, not too technical, but really useful
paperback. How long this edition will remain relevant is another question, since the variety of drugs keeps expanding, and our knowledge of their mechanism in the brain keeps growing.