Book: Understanding Addiction

Understanding Addiction A primer on drugs, drug use and drug dependence was written by Ron Shore, Director of the Street Health Centre and OHRDP. This book was made possible through the financial assistance of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Hepatitis C Secretariat.

This text is a brief introduction to understanding addictions. It is a wonderful addition to any agency library or resource room and provides a structure for dialogue with staff about addictions. It is broken into four sections:

• Issues of Substance – positions the issue of drug use as a social norm, defines “drug” and explains the major classifications of drugs;
• Understanding Drug Action – explores the susceptible brain, how drugs interact with our body and gain their potency, and the impact of trauma on the human mind;
• Understanding Dependence – seeks to make sense of the seemingly strange behaviour of addictions, exploring models that explain the functionality that lies beneath and tackling the significant sociological barrier of stigmatization; and
• What Addiction Teaches us – offers building blocks upon which to move forward, puts drug use in the context of being human and provides an account of harm reduction as in inclusive, evidence-based framework for health programs addressing drug use.

To request a copy, please contact Rebecca at OHRDP 1-866-316-2217 or download the pdf of the book. Please note that we have a limited number of copies available.