What's it about?

Recently, Canadians have had many discussions about substances: should marijuana be legalized? Does the InSite safe injection site in Vancouver deserve continued funding? How strictly should government control the sale of liquor? What is the role of pharmaceutical companies in shaping medical ideas? Such highly-contentious issues highlight the need for broader understandings of substances which are, or have been, the focus of some form of social concern, if not actual legal prohibition or government restriction. The Histories of Substance series seeks to provide the historical context to these issues. It builds on the momentum of the current debates on consumable substances and will feature ground-breaking research in the history of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in Canada.

What's the scope?

Books in this series may take a variety of historical angles and approaches including, but not limited to:

• the manufacture and regulation of alcoholic beverages
• the research, development, and manufacture of medications ranging from secret remedies to modern "wonderdrugs"
• the licit and illicit use of pharmaceuticals
• drinking cultures throughout Canadian history, from early colonial times to post-prohibition cultures
• the definition and regulation of various "recreational" substances and the shifting legal status of some of these drug
• consumer reactions and resistances to restriction, regulation, and availability

The intent of the series is to develop historical contexts of the various ways that drugs and alcohol are perceived, to inform contemporary debates over their use, distribution, and regulation. As a result of this broad scope, the books in the series will be accessible to a range of readers and speak across disciplines not only to historians, but to scholars in health, politics, economics, business, cultural studies, literature, and psychology.

Where do I start?

We seek proposals for monographs and edited volumes of deeply integrated, original essays. Guidelines for preparing a proposal are posted on the UBC Press website.

Who do I contact?

Submit your book proposal by e-mail to Darcy Cullen, Acquisitions Editor, cullen[at]ubcpress.ca. If you would like to discuss your proposal before submission, email series editor Dan Malleck, Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, dmalleck[at]brocku.ca.