Winstock A
Institute of Psychiatry, National Addiction Centre, De Cresigny Park, London, UK.
Addict Biol. 2002 Jan;7(1):133-8. doi: 10.1080/13556210120091509.
To define a dependence syndrome may convey attention upon a public health problems hitherto relatively ignored. It may, however, stigmatize substance use, especially when western diagnostic criteria are applied to essentially culture-bound substances. However, when the pattern of use of a substance results in significant personal harm, then whether dependence exists or not is less important than developing an appropriate response, if its use is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Such is the case with areca nut, the fourth most commonly used drug in the world after tobacco, alcohol and caffeine. In this paper I will explore its use and properties with respect to its abuse and dependence liability and consider the associated implications for public health.
定义一种依赖综合征可能会使人们关注到一个迄今为止相对被忽视的公共卫生问题。然而，这可能会给药物使用贴上污名化标签，尤其是当将西方诊断标准应用于本质上受文化限制的药物时。然而，当一种药物的使用模式导致严重的个人伤害时，如果其使用与显著的发病率和死亡率相关，那么是否存在依赖就不如制定适当的应对措施重要。槟榔就是这样的情况，它是世界上继烟草、酒精和咖啡因之后第四大最常用的药物。在本文中，我将探讨其在滥用和依赖倾向方面的使用及特性，并考虑其对公共卫生的相关影响。
