If you only need the buying answer

The current print listing at $58.11 is slightly cheaper than the sampled 180-day eTextbook at $59.99. That means print is the cleaner value unless you strongly prefer digital reading. When a new print copy costs less than temporary access, there is not much reason to choose the license unless convenience matters more than ownership.

Store	Format	Condition	Price	Link
Merybook	Print	New	$58.11	Check listing
VitalSource	eTextbook	180-day access	$59.99	Check price
Walmart	Print	New	$64.25	Check price

This is an interdisciplinary substance-use text, and that matters. Books in this area often keep returning because they sit between biology, psychology, treatment, law, and social context. A text that explains those connections can remain useful across more than one course, especially when assignments move from basic concepts to applied analysis.

What this book actually teaches

Drug Use and Misuse is not only about naming substances or summarizing abuse patterns. It is about understanding how use, misuse, dependence, treatment, policy, and social interpretation fit together. That gives the book a broader educational role than a narrow psychopharmacology manual or a single-issue public-health text.

Because the material spans scientific, behavioral, and policy perspectives, students often revisit it when later coursework asks for comparison, critique, or more applied discussion. That repeat-use pattern is exactly why print makes good sense when the pricing is this close.

When print is worth buying

In this snapshot, print is the better default because it is slightly cheaper than the temporary eTextbook. The only strong case for digital is reader preference for screen-based study. Otherwise, ownership wins.

Sources checked

• Cengage product page for Drug Use and Misuse, 9th edition: cengage.com
• Current market pricing reviewed on April 15, 2026.