**The definitive guide to the effect of alcohol on people, families, communities, and society, written by two of America’s leading experts on alcoholism and its impact.** Throughout history, and across cultures, alcohol has affected the fabric of society through abuse and addiction, contributed to violence and accidents, and caused injuries and health issues. In Alcohol: Its History, Pharmacology, and Treatment, part of Hazelden’s Library of Addictive Drugs Series, Cheryl Cherpitel, DrPH, and Mark Rose, MA, examine the nature and extent of alcohol use in the United States, current treatment models and demographics, and the biology of alcohol, addiction, and treatment.In separating fact from fiction, Cherpitel and Rose give context for understanding the alcohol problem by tracing its history and different uses over time, then offer an in-depth look atthe latest scientific findings on alcohol’s effects on individualsthe myths and realities of alcohol’s impact on the mindthe societal impacts of alcohol abuse as a factor in violence and accidentsthe pharmacology of pharmaceutical treatments for alcoholismthe history of treatment and current therapeutic treatment modelsThoroughly researched and highly readable, Alcohol offers a comprehensive understanding of medical, social, and political issues concerning this legal, yet potentially dangerous, drug.