Preventing Alcohol Abuse: Alcohol, Culture, and Control

(Hardback)

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Description

The prevailing neo-prohibitionist approach to reducing alcohol problems is generally ineffective, often counter-productive, and is doomed to failure. This work is to promote an effective alternative strategy to reducing the incidence of alcohol problems. The thesis is that a socio-cultural approach would be effective, and therefore, that public policy should promote this approach. This work is expected to be controversial, and is hoped to form a pattern for reorientation of the current approach to alcohol abuse. Professionals in drug abuse education and treatment along with public policy makers and students in appropriate courses should be interested in the work.

Reviews

"Preventing Alcohol Abuse is must reading for anyone concerned with preventing alcohol problems, and curious about how hundreds of generations of humans managed to survive thousands of years of interaction with alcohol without benefit of government management of consumption and long before the invention of alcoholism."- Harold A. Mulford, Ph.D. Psychiatry Professor, Emeritus Psychiatry Research, MEB
"This book is must reading for federal and state officials who determine alcohol policy. Especially excellent are the book's recommendations for a new American alcohol policy based on empirical studies derived from socio-cultural analysis."- David J. Pittman, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Psychology Washington University, St. Louis
"This is an important book, both in terms of information and public service. Hanson here brings together the widely scattered data and findings about drinking and about drinking problems throughout history and around the world. In doing so, he neatly demonstrates serious shortcomings in terms of present policies, both nationally and internationally, and makes specific recommendations of more realistic alternatives."-Dwight B. Heath, Ph.D. Professor of Anthropology, Brown University
A broad view of drinking behavior in time and space, observing that alcohol has been highly valued and in continuous use by people through history.-Future Survey
In this small, well-referenced book, David Hanson argues against a single distribution, control-of-consumption approach to preventing alcohol abuse...He suggests that control-of-consumption policies should be replaced by preventive efforts grounded in a socio-cultural model of alcohol use, which has more empirical support...This book raises important questions about the private consequences of public policy...Handon's book will give researchers and policy experts a useful introduction to the issues...-Journal of Social Science Research
The strength of this book lies in Hanson's ability to coalesce widely scattered data and findings about alcohol consumption and the problems associated with drinking from both historical and cross-cultural perspectives. A good overview.-Choice
"A broad view of drinking behavior in time and space, observing that alcohol has been highly valued and in continuous use by people through history."-Future Survey
"The strength of this book lies in Hanson's ability to coalesce widely scattered data and findings about alcohol consumption and the problems associated with drinking from both historical and cross-cultural perspectives. A good overview."-Choice
"In this small, well-referenced book, David Hanson argues against a single distribution, control-of-consumption approach to preventing alcohol abuse...He suggests that control-of-consumption policies should be replaced by preventive efforts grounded in a socio-cultural model of alcohol use, which has more empirical support...This book raises important questions about the private consequences of public policy...Handon's book will give researchers and policy experts a useful introduction to the issues..."-Journal of Social Science Research

Author Bio

DAVID J. HANSON is Professor of Sociology and Director of Assessment at the State University of New York College at Potsdam. He has written over 270 works-journals and books on this or related topics.