Drugs and Society

Drugs and Society

• The potential value of genetics in assessing risk, consequences, and treatment of drug use disorder or addiction
• The abuse and extent of performance-enhancing drugs in athletic and sport activity
• Statistics of use and the impact of drugs of abuse
• The value of forensic drug testing
• Recent findings concerning the extent of vaping and its negative long-term consequences
• The escalation of American overdose deaths due to opioids directly related to both prescription abuse and the emergence of illicit fentanyl in counterfeit medications
• The pharmacological and behavioral characteristics of alcohol use and abuse including major costs to society
• The pattern of methamphetamine resurgence uses in the United States and its trafficking patterns from Mexico, as well as the recent connections between methamphetamine and heroin/opioid use
• The use of hallucinogenic drugs such as Ecstasy (MDMA) to treat mental conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder and the use of ketamine to treat depression
• Problems associated with the rapidly escalating drug costs in the U.S. and how to address these challenges
• Tobacco regulation by the FDA and the continued increase in the popularity of e-cigarettes
• Recent changes in most state marijuana laws in the United States that legally redefine marijuana as medicine for neurological and mental health issues and most recent events to make it a legal drug for recreational marijuana use.
• Holding the Line: vignettes that help readers assess governmental efforts to deal with drug-related problems
• Case in Point: examples of relevant clinical and/or social issues that arise from the use of each major group of drugs
• Here and Now: current events that illustrate the personal and social consequences of drug abuse
• Family Matters: examples of how genetics and heredity contribute to drug abuse and its issues
• Prescription for Abuse: current stories that illustrate the problems of prescription abuse and its consequences
• Point/Counterpoint: exposes students to different perspectives on drug-related issues and encourages them to draw their own conclusions.