Book Review: Durrant, R., & Thakker, J. (2003). Substance Use and Abuse: Cultural and Historical Perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 311 pp

• Published date: 01 June 2007
• Author: Rashi K. Shukla
• Date: 01 June 2007
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016807300510
• Subject Matter: Articles

Durrant, R., & Thakker, J. (2003). Substance

Use and Abuse: Cultural and Historical Perspectives.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 311 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/0734016807300510

In Substance Use and Abuse, Durrant and Thakker present a detailed history of drug use

over time to support the need for developing a broader understanding of substance use that

takes into account cultural and historical perspectives. These perspectives are integrated

within a biopsychosocial approach that is used to understand and evaluate issues associated

with prevention, treatment, and public policy. In explaining and documenting the history of

substance use, examples of the different types of substances that have been consumed over

time, including caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and illicit substances such as cannabis, cocaine,

and heroin, are provided.

In chapter 1, an integrated model of substance use, which displays the relationship

between biological variables, psychosocial variables, and cultural-historical variables as

they relate to the self, is provided. Although each of these perspectives provides a unique

and valuable contribution to the understanding of drug use, it is argued that explanations

drawn from any single perspective will be limited at best. Key questions relating to use,

abuse, and intervention strategies require multifaceted explanations.

In chapter 2, the significance of the social and cultural context of drug use is introduced.

Data on patterns of drug use in different coucntries are presented. The importance of under-

standing the functional significance and context of drug use is discussed, leading to the

development of a taxonomy of functional contexts of substance use. These functional con-

texts include medicinal, recreational, social, pragmatic, ritual-religious, and dietary con-

texts. Finally, a discussion of the harms and benefits related to substance use and the

problematic issues associated with measuring and categorizing differences between use and

abuse are addressed. Of significance to broader patterns of substance use in society, the

authors differentiate between problematic drug use and nonproblematic drug use, a view-

point often overlooked within the current drug discourse, and argue that there is a strong

need to distinguish between use,abuse, and dependence.

In chapter 3, an integrated evolutionary model of substance use that takes into account

the processes of natural and sexual selection, evolutionary functions, and life history the-

ory is presented as an approach that can be used to complement other levels of analysis.

In chapter 4, arguably one of the most important chapters in this book, an extensive his-

tory of the use of substances in societies around the world is presented. Using a number of

specific historical examples, the authors present detailed accounts of historical references

to drug use, views about use, patterns of consumption, and information on the contexts of

use in different societies over time. Furthermore, social and legal responses to perceived

drug problems and the technological, social, and cultural advancements that contributed to

emerging patterns of use are documented.

In chapter 5, the authors demonstrate how multiple factors including functional contexts

of drug use, new technologies, modes of consumption, new substances, economic and polit-

ical factors, changes in availability, and legislative responses have all affected patterns of

use and abuse. The importance of how perceptions of substance use as problematic are

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