Diane Riley is a policy analyst with the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is a founding member of the International Harm Reduction Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Richard Pates is a consultant clinical psychologist and clinical director of the Addiction services for Cardiff and vale NHS Trust. He has worked in the field for nearly 20 years and has extensive experience of treating people with amphetamine problems. His research interests include the treatment of amphetamine problems and aspects of injecting. He is also editor of The Journal of Substance Use.
Taken overall in the context of its strengths and shortcomings, and as one of the few textbooks of its kind, it is a welcome resource for the field of harm reduction. We would recommend this book to those unfamiliar with the discipline, particularly individuals entering academia and those interested in advocacy and policy. Many sections can be read as stand-alone pieces, to help the reader develop an understanding of fundamental concepts before delving further into research. It is especially valuable if one is interested in harm reduction with respect to the UK contex. ( Drug & Alcohol Review , 15 September 2013)