Drugs and Society

Catalog description

Alcohol and drug use and abuse are a part of life in contemporary America. This course examines their role from the standpoints of sociology, criminology, and public health. What social factors such as gender, race, and class shape substance use? How do major social institutions such as the legal system and healthcare deal with substance use and misuse? What public policies and programs exist to regulate or reduce substance use, and how well do they work? Examples of topics discussed include why people take drugs, the various ways we respond to drug use and distribution, and the nonmedical use of prescription drugs. The course will also explore the contemporaneous issues of the opiate crisis, how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts substance use, treatment, and law enforcement, including in the context of police reforms.