Weekly Outline

Drug Awareness – HLWL 1106

Summer, D01, 2024
May 20-June 29

Use this outline to plan your study time for the next 6 weeks. We will be
covering a lot of material in a short period of time, so it is important that you
adhere to the deadlines for all submissions. There is no time for make ups or
extensions except in extenuating circumstances. So plan accordingly.

Listen to the Screencasts as they are posted. They will preview the work as we
go. Screencasts are my way of presenting important concepts and material as if
we were in a traditional classroom. Think of them as “online lectures”, so if you
don’t listen, you’ve missed class.

Learning Module 1 – May 20-June 2

Week 1: Drug Abuse from Multiple Perspectives May 20-26
TOPIC: Studying Drug Use and Addiction - A Public Health Perspective

Learning Objectives:
 Differentiate between the four major perspectives from which we study drug use policy.
 Evaluate the system of drug classification used by the FDA to regulate psychoactive drugs
 Identify reliable sources of information on drugs, drug abuse, and addiction (NIDA, NIAAA, and
SAMSHA) and develop awareness of the entities responsible for policy-making (ONDCP)
 Identify the criteria you would use to evaluate the “risk to benefit ratio” of drugs of abuse.
Required readings and Study Materials
 Chapters 1-3 in Hart-Ksir
 Definition of Controlled Substance Schedules.docx (Blackboard)
 Expert rankings: Dangerous Drugs: five criteria.docx (Blackboard
 Presentation by David Nutt: The Inconvenient Truth About Drugs (external link)

Assignments

By Wednesday, May 22, at midnight:

 Participate in the Meet Your Classmates Forum

 Submit Personal Perspective Journal: Before Drug Awareness. This Journal should be
written before you study any of the posted materials – it is intended to reflect your perspective
on how our society deals with drug issues at this point in time.

By midnight on Sunday, May 26

 Participate in the Most Dangerous Drug Forum:

Scenario: You are the new U. S. “Drug Czar” (director of ONDCP, the body responsible for national
drug control policy). Which psychoactive drugs abused or misused in our society do you consider
dangerous?
Week 2: Understanding Addiction May 26-June 2
Topic: The Science of Addiction
Learning Objectives
 Analyze the “medical model” of drug addiction
 Compare and contrast the medical model with the “behavioral” or “choice” model of addiction.
 Analyze how these theories impact the way society views drug control and those who become
addicted to psychoactive drugs.
 Synthesize the risk and protective factors impacting use and abuse of psychoactive drugs.
 Demonstrate the ability to conduct scholarly research and engage in a constructive debate on
a controversial issue.
Required reading and Study Materials
 Chapters 4 & 5 in Hart-Ksir
 Chapter 2 off Surgeon General’s Report on Addiction in America (Blackboard)
 Drug Addiction from a neuroscience perspective

Assignment: The Addiction Debate Discussion Board: Is Addiction an Issue for Public Health or
the Criminal Justice System? A comparison on the theoretical models of drug addiction.

Null Hypothesis: Addiction is more a criminal justice issue than a public health issue. It results from
an individual’s voluntary misuse and abuse of drugs, whether with intent or without, contributes to the
perpetuation of an illegal supply chain, crime, and danger to the public good. Therefore, efforts at
control and remediation of drug use, abuse, and addiction should remain under the oversight of the
criminal justice system.

By midnight on Friday, May 31

1. On the For Discussion Board, post your argument that addiction results from choosing to
engage in criminal or antisocial behavior and is therefore subject to the sanctions and penalties
of the Criminal Justice system. OR on the Against Discussion Board, post your argument that
addiction is a public health issue because it is a result of influences that are beyond the control
of the addicted individual.
2. Support your argument with at least one scholarly reference from the study materials provided
or from research that has been peer reviewed for reliability and validity.

By midnight on Sunday, June 2

Submit your rebuttal to at least one argument on the opposing team’s discussion board. Your rebuttal
should be in the form of a “reply” to a member of the opposing team. Your rebuttal must follow the
standards of respectful disagreement required in any formal debate protocol.

Unit Test on LM 1 (Chapters 1-5) Due midnight, Wednesday, June 5

Learning Module 2 – June 6-June 16
Weeks 3 and 4: Psychoactives: Legal and Illegal June 6—June 16
Their Impact on Public Health
Topic: Analyzing the biochemistry of psychoactive drugs and the potential impact of
decriminalizing/legalizing of them from an individual and public health perspectives.

Learning Objectives
 Analyze similarities and differences of psychoactive drugs in terms of their impact on brain
function and behavior.
 Explain the social, health and economic impact of these drugs when they are misused or
abused from the medical/health, legal/moral, psychosocial, and sociocultural perspectives.
Required readings in Hart/Ksir:
 Chapters 6-8: Stimulants, Depressants, and Drugs Used for Treating Mental Health Disorders
 Chapters 9-11: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Caffeine
 Chapter 13: The Opiates
 Chapter 14: The Psychedelics: Hallucinogens and Cannabis
Assignments

By midnight on Friday, June 7 – Sign up for one of the three Drug Study Groups; identify the
subset of drugs you will research by creating a page in the Group Wiki.
Note: Each subset is limited to one member, except for the group on cannabis, which can have two
members. You will have to look at each group Wiki before you sign up to make sure that you are not
duplicating drug selections. The earlier you sign up, the better your chances of getting your first choice.

 Illegal psychoactive drugs: Schedule I: Crystal Methamphetamine, Heroin, Hallucinogens,

Designer Drugs (DMT, MDMA), and cannabis (from the FDA perspective).
 Psychoactive drugs: Schedules II-IV: cocaine, benzodiazepines (sedatives and hypnotics,
antidepressants, ADHD medications, opiates prescribed for pain relief).
 Legal/restricted psychoactive drugs: alcohol, tobacco, cannabis (legalized for medical
purposes and recreational use)

Assignments:
 By midnight, Friday, June 7 - Select the subset of drug(s) you will research, create your
individual page in the Group Wiki, and begin your research.
 By midnight on Sunday, June 16 - Write your final report on your page in the Study Group
Wiki (Note: grading in this Wiki is based on individual reports. You will not be assigned a group
grade.)

Learning Module 3 – June 16-June 29

Week 5 – Short Research Project: Issues in Prevention and Treatment June 16-June 29
of Drug Abuse
Topic: Prevention and Treatment of Drug Use, Abuse, and Addiction

Learning Objectives for Learning Module 3

 Think critically about the role you could play as a “change agent” in our society for drug use
and abuse prevention and treatment.
 Within your perceived sphere of influence, analyze the literature for current research into the
selected topic relative to prevention and treatment of drug abuse
 Synthesize the research into a short report that sheds light on the topic under investigation and
expands our understanding of the issues surrounding prevention and treatment of drug abuse
and addiction
Required readings: Chapters 17 & 18 (skim for topics)

Assignments

By midnight on Tuesday, 18
Post your topic on the Research Topic Blog (before posting, read the topics that have already been
posted to avoid duplication).
By midnight Wednesday, June 26 – Submit your research report as a video presentation or
slideshow with recorded voiceover
Week 6 – Peer Reviews and Perspectives June 26-29 (Wrap up)
Topic: Completing Drug Awareness Successfully
Assignments

By midnight, Saturday, June 29 (last day of class)

1. Complete Peer Review Blog
2. Begin studying for Final Exam, Part 1: Review Learning Module 2 on Psychoactive Drugs
Final Exam , August 8-August 16
By midnight on Wednesday, July 3
 1. Submit Final Personal Perspective Paper After Drug Awareness
2. Submit Final Exam
Part I: Psychoactive Drugs (LM 2) Chapters 6-15 (this is a timed multiple-choice test)
Part 2: Concept Essays (unlimited attempts allowed)
3. Submit Course Evaluation* (2 extra credit points will be added to everyone’s score if we have
100% participation in the course evaluation process.

Enjoy the rest of the summer !