ABSTRACT

The worlds of legal/illegal substance abuse are prime examples of the ubiquitous presence of deceptive behavior. Few other areas of forensic assessment capture the systemic nature of deception as that seen in the aboveground and underground worlds of substance abuse. Deception in the substance abuse domain goes far beyond immediate circumstances and is a worldwide phenomenon. This chapter begins with an update of national and worldwide prevalence data. We review the efforts of the U.S. government to monitor current substance abuse issues. The major categories of substance abuse are reviewed as are the implications of social and cultural milieus with respect to chosen patterns of substance abuse. The DSM-V revisions of substance abuse diagnoses are addressed, and the implications of those changes affecting deception analysis of substance abuse matters are reviewed. Current methods of biological substance abuse detection are considered as are the current variety of psychological screening and testing methods. The chapter also briefly reviews current prevention and treatment approaches. Finally, the implications of neural imaging techniques in detection of substance abuse related deception is reviewed.