Download Drugs and Behavior UI300-759, -769, -779,

Drugs and Behavior
UI300-759, -769, -779, -799
COURSE SYLLABUS – SUMMER 2008
Professor:
Department:
Phone:
Dr. Michael Brown
Criminal Justice & Sociology
651-2686
Office: CH201 F
Office Hours: M-W-F, 11:00 - 12:00
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://cstl-hhs.semo.edu/mbrown
I.
Catalog Description and Credit Hours of Course:
An interdisciplinary coverage of psychoactive drugs from the perspectives of
psychopharmacology, history and criminal justice.
II.
Prerequisite(s): Behavioral systems, Social systems and development of a major civilization
III.
Purposes or Objectives of the Course: To further students understanding of drug use and
abuse in the United States
IV. Expectations of Students:
A. Class attendance and participation
B. One midterm examination
C. Final examination
D. Term paper
E. Forum assignments
F. Debate and position paper
V.
Course Outline: See attached schedule
VI. Textbook:
Ksir, Hart and Ray, Drugs, Society and Behavior, 11th ed. (2005) St. Louis, McGraw Hill
VII. Basis for Student Evaluation:
Tests shall be administered as scheduled. There will be one midterm examination and a final
examination plus written assignments. Missed exams will be made up during finals week. The
weight of the examination will be as follows:
Grading
Exam #1
Final Exam
Term paper
Forum assignments
Debate
Class participation
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts
250 pts
50 pts
50 pts
650 points total
Current university policy applies to course grade range:
A = 90% = 90 – 100
B = 80% = 80 – 89
C = 70% = 70 – 79
D = 60% = 60 – 69
F = 50% = 59 and below
UI300-759 etc.
Summer, 2008
8:00-10:40
June 12
June 14
Introduction, Drugs and crime
Drugs and crime, Chapters 1, 2, 3
June 19
June 21
How drugs work, video
How drugs work, Chapters 4, 5
June 26
June 28
Alcohol, Chapter 9
Tobacco, Caffeine, Chapters 10, 11
July 3
July 5
Exam #1 (online)
Web assignment
July 10
July 12
Stimulants, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Chapter 6
Opiates, Chapter 13
July 17
July 19
Marijuana, Chapter 15, Hallucinogens, Chapter 14
Performance enhancing drugs, Chapter 16
July 24
July 26
Debates
Substance abuse treatment and prevention, Chapters 17, 18
July 31
August 2
Public policy
Final exam
UI300 Debate Topics
Debate Topic Instructions
The assignment is to identify what you consider to be the three most compelling arguments to
support the position you are defending. You will begin by writing a position paper in which you
articulate the arguments. You will then prepare a 2 minute oral presentation for the class. The
paper must be supported by at least three sources, two of which can be taken from the internet.
All papers will be presented to the instructors on July 17th. Presenting teams will be selected
randomly beginning on July 17th.
Debate topics
1. Intravenous drug use has been identified as one of the principle means by which a number
of diseases are spread. An argument has been made that government agencies should
provide clean needles to drug users.
Pro: Government agencies should provide sterile syringes to intravenous drug users to
prevent the spread of disease.
Con: Government agencies should not provide sterile syringes to intravenous drug users.
2. Some states are considering the creation of “Dram Shop Laws” which would hold bar
owners and bar tenders accountable for the harm caused by patrons who have been
drinking in their establishment.
Pro: Owners and bartenders should be held accountable for the actions of bar patrons
who consume alcoholic beverages which result in impairment.
Con: Owners and bartenders should not be held accountable for the actions of bar patrons
who consume alcoholic beverages which result in impairment.
3. Surveys indicate that the American public is ambivalent about the use of some drugs,
particularly marijuana. That debate is likely to continue and the class would benefit from a
better understanding of the issues, what are those issues?
Pro: Marijuana should be legalized
Con: Marijuana should not be legalized
4. Most states have passed statutes which prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from
consuming alcoholic beverages. Enforcing these laws has proven difficult. States have
subsequently expanded the authority of the police to stop and detain persons who appear
to be underage to determine if a violation of the law is occurring.
Pro: The police should have the legal authority to stop and detain persons who appear to
be less then 21 years of age and who appear to have consumed alcoholic beverages even
if they are not driving.
Con: The police should (not) have the legal authority to stop and detain persons who
appear to be less then 21 years of age and who appear to have consumed alcoholic
beverages even if they are not driving.
5. The use of methadone as a treatment response to heroin addiction is controversial.
Pro: Methadone maintenance should be allowed as a treatment option for recovering
addicts.
Con: Methadone maintenance should (not) be allowed as a treatment option for recovering
addicts.
6. Some judges have begun to require that convicted drunk drivers are required to display a
bumper sticker that reads “This vehicle is being driven by a convicted drunk driver” as
part of their sentence.
Pro: This sentencing option should be available to trial court judges.
Con: This sentencing option should (not) be available to trial court judges.
7. Possession and use of certain controlled substances, such as cocaine and heroin are is
illegal. In other words people can not have these drugs. The question often arises how far
can the government go to enforce these laws? Consider the following possibility.
Pro: Pregnant women who test positive for an illegal substance should be criminally
prosecuted?
Con: Pregnant women who test positive for an illegal substance should be criminally
prosecuted?
8. Should persons under the age of 18 be prosecuted for using tobacco products? Yes/No
9. Insurance Coverage for Self-Induced Illnesses. Should insurance cover problems caused
by an individual’s “unhealthy” choices?
Examples: physical problems related to obesity, lung cancer& emphysema related to
smoking, heart conditions related to smoking and over-eating, cirrhosis of the liver due to
excessive drinking, alcoholism treatment, and treatment for drug addiction
Pro: Insurance should provide full coverage for illnesses and problems caused by an
individual’s “unhealthy choices”
Con: Insurance should only provide full coverage for physical problems not caused by an
individual’s “unhealthy choices”
10. Insurance coverage for Addiction, Alcoholism and Other Psychiatric Problems is Not
Equitable to Coverage Provided for Other Health Problems. For instance, some insurance
companies will only cover one treatment for alcoholism per life time, and outpatient
counseling for any psychiatric condition is limited by many insurance companies to
approximately one session per month per calendar year, while medical illnesses such as
hypertension or diabetes have no time limits placed on how often medical help can be
accessed. Or some insurance companies offer only partial coverage (i.e. 30% of cost) for
psychiatric care as opposed to total (100%) coverage for other medical problems. Should
such inequities in coverage exist in the United States?
Pro: Yes, they should.
Con: No, they should not.
11. Interventions. Interventions are professionally orchestrated group confrontations of
individuals intended to persuade them to seek treatment for their addiction problems. They
are usually done by concerned family members; sometimes friends are included. Some
interventions are done within the context of peer assistance so that a professional’s
concerned peers and employer confront the nurse, doctor, dentist, or pharmacist, for
example, and offer that professional the option of seeking treatment and recovery instead
of having their impaired practice reported to their respective state boards and running the
risk of losing their license to practice. They are planned ahead of time, and the object of
the intervention has no prior knowledge of what they will be walking into. In other words,
the individual’s consent to have their behavior examined and judged by the group is not
given prior to the intervention taking place. Should such interventions (family or
professional) be allowed?
Pro: Yes.
Con: No.
12. Peer Assistance. Peer assistance is a service offered to professionals that have
demonstrated impaired practice (practice that does not meet professional standards
dictated by licensing legislation for specific professions). Dentists, nurses, physicians,
pharmacists, drug counselors, etc. belong to professions that “police their own” and offer
professionals in their discipline the opportunity to seek treatment and experience
monitored, supervised, and supported recovery and re-entry. into practice. When such
peer assistance is not an option in a state for a particular profession, the alternative is to
peer assistance is to have impaired practice reported to licensing boards. When this
happens, the professional runs the risk of having their licenses to practice taken away, or
being put on probation, or having their unprofessional behavior reported to law
enforcement officers. Some examples of impaired practice for nurses are: drug diversion
(taking a patient’s drug and administering it to yourself), falsifying records by charting that
you’ve given pain medication when you haven’t (so you may administer the narcotic to
yourself), or being so intoxicated at work that you cannot remember if you gave a
medication or not and, consequently, give it a second time so that the patient’s life is
endangered.
Pro: Yes, people in helping professions should be given a second chance through peer
assistance programs.
Con: No, people in helping professions should be given a second chance through peer
assistance programs.
13. Pain Management: People who are alcoholics and addicts have developed tolerance to the
effects of medications that alter or stop pain. This means the same amount of a pain killer
that is effective in a “normal person” will not be effective in them; they need much larger
doses to get the same effect a normal dose would create in a person without a history of
addiction or alcoholism. Often, however, medical professionals are reluctant to give
alcoholics and addicts even normal doses of pain mediation because they “don’t want to
feed their addiction.” Common attitudes are that such patients are “drug seeking” (which,
in fact, some are at times) and/or that they deserve to be in pain because they are addicts
or alcoholics. Should medical professionals withhold pain medication from addicts and
alcoholics? Or, if they don’t withhold it completely, should they limit the amount they
give?
Pro: Yes, they should withhold and/or limit it so that they do not encourage further
addiction.
Con: No, they shouldn’t withhold and/or limit it because addicts and alcoholics deserve to
have their pain alleviated by medication just as any other patient does.
14. Confidentiality: The identity of someone who is being treated for alcoholism or drug
addiction is, by law, kept confidential. Access is denied to confidential records of such
treatment by federal laws. An additional conflict is that there are also legal mandates to
report suspected child abuse; some alcoholics and addicts disclose behaviors that clearly
demonstrate suspected child abuse----and, it is difficult to determine which law should be
followed, that of confidentiality or that of reported suspected abuse.
Should confidentiality laws protect addicts and alcoholics from lawyers and police from
accessing their medical records during the course of an investigation? Should alcoholics
and addicts be exempt from having their suspected child abuse reported?
Pro: Yes, alcoholics and addicts should be protected from their confidentiality being
violated no matter what the cost.
Con: No, alcoholics and addicts should not have their confidentiality protected if the
health and safety of another person is in question or if a crime is being investigated.
15. Mandated 12 Step Meeting Participation: Often times, peer assistance programs and court
orders mandate that an alcoholic or addict must participate in 12 step meetings on a
regular basis and have their attendance documented. However, some experts have
questioned whether the predominately spiritually based 12 step approach to recovery can
automatically be considered helpful for all alcoholics and addicts. Some argue that other
approaches to recovery such as Rational Recovery and Women for Sobriety are more
beneficial for some alcoholics and addicts. Should the type of recovery support be
exclusively mandated by law and/or peer assistance programs to 12 step groups such as
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous?
Pro: Yes.
Con: No.
16. Employee Drug Testing: Some employers submit job applicants and all employees to
mandatory drug testing. Some argue that this protects the public’s safety as well as the
employer from possible abusive use of sick leave and the expense of work-based
accidents related to drug and/or alcohol use. Others argue that mandated drug testing is
violation of civil rights and/or one’s right to privacy. Should employers be allowed to
conduct pre-employment drug screens and mandated employee drug screens?
Pro: Yes.
Con: No.
UI300
Term Paper
Summer 2008
Dr. Michael Brown
Topic:
Each student will prepare a written report on a specific drug issue. The issue
(topic) reported upon MUST come from the list below. Each student will select
a different topic. Students should explore the historical, psychological, and
legal dimensions of the topic. In a clear and concise manner, the student
should use the paper to identify and explain how understanding this topic aids
in the understanding of drugs and human behavior.
Length:
Approximately 2000 to 3500 words. This means nine to fifteen pages
typewritten. The paper must be completed on a word processor.
Deadlines:
I. Inform Dr. Brown by June 14 (via e-mail) of the topic you prefer to report
upon. (Topics are listed below)
II. Initial Bibliography due on June 21 by midnight on the 21st. Once you have
selected a topic, begin seeking appropriate sources. Submit to Dr. Brown
(using Dropbox) a written list of available sources that you believe will help
you develop the paper. Such a list must have at least FIVE substantial
sources of information. (20 points)
III. The Term Paper will be due on July 26. The paper must be submitted using
Dropbox by midnight on the 26th.
General Information:
LENGTH: 2000-3500 words. Nine pages minimum, fifteen pages maximum.
FORMAT: Typewritten.
FONT SIZE: Preferably 12 point, no less than 10 point.
TITLE PAGE: Yes
MARGINS: Left – 1.5 inches; right, top, and bottom – 1 inch
INDEX/OUTLINE: Not required
DOCUMENTATION: Required for all quotations, use APA or MLA.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: Required. An essential part of your paper. The
minimum is five SUBSTANTIAL sources. Each entry must have a two or three
sentence annotation of how the specific source contributed to the final version
of the paper.
PLAGIARISM: There must be no indication of this.
ASSISTANCE: Much is available. Ask. Refer to Dr. Brown regarding any
aspect of this project.
Term Paper Topics
1.
Caffeinism: The Great American Addiction.
2.
Drug Use and Ethnicity in the United States: 1950-2006.
3.
Drug Use and Ethnicity in the United States: 1877-1950.
4.
Drug Use and the Elderly: Whose Rights Should Prevail?
5.
Drugs and Animals: Whose Rights Should Prevail?
6.
Drugs and the Mentally Ill: Whose Rights Should Prevail?
7.
Alcohol Treatment Programs in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
8.
Drugs and the College Student: National Trends: 1950-2006.
9.
Drugs and the College Student: Current Trends at Southeast Missouri State University.
10.
Drugs and the High School Student: National Trends: 1950-2006.
11.
Drugs and the High School Student: Current Trends in two High Schools.
12.
The 18th Amendment: Success or Failure?
13.
Decriminalization of the Opiates: Can it Work?
14.
Is Drug Abuse a (A) public Health, (B) Medical, (C) Legal, or (D) Social Problem?
15.
The Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914: American Directions.
16.
The Federal Drug Administration Case for the Regulation of Tobacco.
17.
Alcoholics Anonymous: Why it Works.
18.
Television’s Impact on the American Drug Environment.
19.
“DEAR PRESIDENT Bush:” A National Drug Policy Proposal.
20.
Benzodiazepines for Therapy: The Benefits and the Dangers.
21.
The War on Drugs: A Legalization Model.
22.
The War on Drugs: A Medical Model.
23.
The War on Drugs: A Punitive Model.
24.
The Use of the Military in Drug Interdiction: Is There Cause for Concern?
25.
Drugs and the Constitution: Is There Cause for Concern?
26.
The Economic Implications of International Drug Trafficking.
27.
The legal Implications of International Drug Trafficking.
28.
Drug Education Programs in the Elementary Schools: Do They Work?
29.
Marijuana as Medicine: The Case Against Legalization.
30.
Marijuana as Medicine: The Case for Legalization.
31.
Drugs and Swedish Society: A Cultural Perspective.
32.
Drugs and British Society: A Cultural Perspective.
33.
Drugs and Japanese Society: A Cultural Perspective.
34.
Drugs and Pregnancy: Current Trends, Practical Solutions.
35.
America’s Miracle Drugs? Aspirin, Acetaminophen, and Ibuprofen.
36.
Steroids and the College Athlete: Current Trends, Practical Solutions.
37.
Drugs and Professional Sports: Historical Trends, 1965-1975.
38.
Drugs and the American Army in Vietnam: 1965-1975.
39.
Drugs and Professional Sports: 1975-2005: What Standards?
40.
Thalidomide: A Curse and a Blessing?
41.
The U.S. Against Tobacco: The Tobacco War 1990-2005.
42.
Crack Versus Powder: Sensible Sentences, Racist Sentences?
43.
The “Tobacco Settlement:” The Missouri Case.
44.
LSD Joins the Army: The U.S. Military Experiments.
45.
“There’s an Awful Lot of Tobacco in Brazil:” A World Health Problem?
46.
Governor Gary Johnson’s (New Mexico) War on Drugs.
FORUM
The Forum is an online discussion site which you may access by clicking on the FORUM link on the
main UI300 links page. Clicking on this link takes you directly to the Forum. Starting the 2nd week of
classes, and ending on July 31st, you will post 2 messages on the Forum each week (except for the
week of July 2nd) according to the instructions found in the Usage Rules – click on the hotlink in this
sentence and print out the usage rules for future reference. BE SURE to follow these rules carefully
to avoid problems or loss of points (remember that late Forum assignments are NOT accepted).
Questions regarding the Forum should be directed to Dr. Brown
FORUM ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
ASSITNMENT #
DUE DATE
CLASS WEEK
1
June 19
2
2
June 26
3
3
July 3
4
4
July 6
4
5
July 10
5
6
July 17
6
7
July 24
7
8
July 31
8