All the facts about cocaine are drawn together in this book, from its natural occurrence in a tea-like plant in South America, to its appearence on the streets as crack. The social and medical issues surrounding addiction are explored drawing on work in the fields of medicine, psychiatry, neuroscience, pharmacology, epidemiology, social work, and sociology. The volume presents a history of cocaine, and includes information on its physical and psychological effects, and the etiology and epidemiology of cocaine addiction. Basic questions are addressed such as; what is cocaine, what form does it come in, how is it administered, what does it do, and what are the medical complications of cocaine addiction? The treatment of cocaine addiction is also examined, and the pharmaceutical agents and psychosocial interventions used to treat addiction are critically evaluated.