Doin' drugs : patterns of African American addiction /

By examining the historical and modern patterns of African American addiction, James and Johnson aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the reciprocal relationship between addiction and race. Education and knowledge are viewed as the means to more effective race-based addiction treatment. The authors argue that through this increased awareness, better preparation and education can be provided to those professionals who work with this population. The first two chapters deal exclusively with African American drug use from a historical perspective. The succeeding four chapters examine the relationship between race and specific drugs such as alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana, and opiates and cocaine. Finally, the authors consider linkages between factors in the social environment and the use of drugs. For example, they discuss gangs and the African American church, showing their part in the development or deterrence of drug use. To support their general thesis James and Johnson rely on empirical data, historical analysis, and case studies. This work offers a respectable primer on issues specific to African American drug use and also illustrates the problems inherent in minority drug treatment. Upper-division undergraduates and above. M. A. Norton-Hawk; Northeastern University