الفهرس 
Prevalence of Substance Abuse GloballyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Addictions and the law are interwoven in court cases, legislative actions, constitutional law and administrative policy. In general, the law views alcohol and drug addiction as an illness in an individual who bears responsibility for its consequences, including punishment and therapeutic treatments.
The individual is not completely guilty or absolved from criminal or civil responsibilities because of addictive disease. Increasingly, alcohol and drug disorders are considered the root causes of criminal and civil violations that can be ameliorated or eliminated through therapeutic actions sanctioned and monitored by the courts.
The forensic psychiatrist and the generalist should acquaint themselves with the efficacy of addictions treatment and the importance and advantages of identifying addictive diseases in their patients. They must also consider the legal consequences for not informing patients of the treatment options for their addictions. If addiction treatment is viewed as an alternative consequence of addictive disease in legal cases, the psychiatrist can cooperate with the legal system to improve clinical care and reduce harm to self and others by those suffering from alcohol and drug disorders. In this model, addiction treatment becomes the “carrot” in mitigation and the legal consequences for not complying with the alternative are the “stick” to induce the individual to exercise personal responsibility in his or her decisions