Modern Trends in Drug Dependence and Alcoholism

, Postgraduate students in psychiatry and social work who wish to review the field quickly and grasp the concepts. Mention of particular contributions is a matter of personal preference and interest, but I for one am delighted that, at a time when there are so many self-appointed and often vocal specialists in this field, these papers carry the stamp of knowledge and authority. ' particularly value the papers on alcoholism by Dr. Myrddin Evans and Dr. Griffith Edwards. The work of the Cardiff unit, and the original e"ort to integrate a service for alcoholism, should encourage us to ?cus our attention on the community. Dr. Evans places emphasis on the cardinal importance of work 'th the family, stressing 'profound annily involvement'. Dr. Edwards produces a typically [udite paper on the status of ^coholism as a disease. He reviews any concepts, particularly con! ers evidence on the genetics of coholism but finds it not proven, {and indicates the need for a multiotorial approach in view of cultural and social pressures that influence drinking behaviour. There is an excellent chapter on drug dependence by Wilson and Lister, but it seems unfortunate that so much of it is devoted to cannabif, and, in my opinion, tends