Most texts that are written in the area of drug use are written either from a counseling/psychology or physiology/pharmacology point of view, and do not attempt to deal extensively with the social context of drug use in American society. The organization of The Sociology of American Drug Use mainstreams the text for sociology and criminology programs, and at the same time provides a broader sociological perspective on drug use. Much of this material comes Faupel’s own research experience among street heroin addicts on the east coast. Throughout several of the chapters there is an ethnographer’s perspective on the specific issues addressed, while at the same time maintaining a focus on the basics in this substantive field.e field.
