Presents the results of a number of epidemiologic studies designed to assess the extent of the drug abuse problem in the Americas and identify lines of preventive action. The book has two parts. The first is a multi-authored collection of studies focused on the epidemiologic characteristics of the drug abuse epidemic. Studies fall into three main groups. The first provides a sample of current research designed to gauge the extent of the drug abuse problem and determine why governments are so often unprepared to respond in effective ways. The second group explores methodologies used in drug abuse research and points out the necessity of developing alternative epidemiologic surveillance systems. Papers in the third group, which considers the evaluation of preventive programmes, attempt to determine which preventive strategies are most effective and to which groups they should be directed.