• the major categories of psychoactive drugs;
• their physiological, psychological, and societal effects;
• patterns and causes of their use and abuse in individuals and societies; and
• systems of drug education.

Learning outcomes. At the end of this course, you should be able to

• predict the likely effect on behavior of various psychoactive substances;
• identify drugs by their physiological, psychological, and social effects on human beings, and
• evaluate their potential for abuse.

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Thursday, October 7...............................15%

Tuesday, November 9.............................15%

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• Estimated paper length is 20 pages, and electronic projects should demonstrate an equivalent amount of scholarship, including source citations and a reference list, in APA format. For example, an equivalent PowerPoint project would have over 40 content slides, with appropriate animations, illustrations, graphs, weblinks, and audio/video segments.
• Submit a proposal of one page in length by September 14, which explains your topic, tells why you want to do your paper on that topic, and lists the 20 best sources you have found so far.
• The final draft of the paper or project will be due November 18, and will be marked out of 20%. Correct English usage is expected.
• Use at least 20 primary, scholarly sources, including at least fifteen (15) journal articles. The journals may be either paper or electronic, but non-journal websites do not count toward the required 20 sources.
• In your paper or project, show a clear explanation of the topic, including relevant research and case reports. Incorporate your own analysis of the research and debates, and make connections with other issues in psychology and in faith. Conclude with your thoughtful evaluation of the topic..
• Suggested topics:
• Any drug or small family of drugs (eg. opiate antagonists), including history of its use and abuse, pharmacology, therapeutic potential, and current street status.
• Issues surrounding legalization of all drugs or any category of currently illicit compounds, such as marijuana.
• Targeted drug education methods.
• Treatment for addiction to a family of drugs, eg. heroin.
• Drug treatment of a particular mental disorder.
• A grant proposal for a drug abuse recovery support service either in Allegany County or in your home county or city, under the SAMHSA grant program.
• Student electronic projects, both PowerPoints and websites, may give you some ideas, but you should not use them as models for the quality of work expected.

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Bring a synopsis of one article to class for possible discussion each week. Post at least 10 of your synopses in the class shared folder, and include the bibliographic reference (including the URL of electronic material) for the article you have read. You may post these synopses on your own schedule, but you may gain credit for no more than one synopsis per week. (Total value: 10%)

The shared folder for the class is available in Outlook. Go to Public Folders/ All Public Folders/ Academic/ Classes/ YoungP/Drugs&BehaviorF04. For future convenience, drag the folder up into your Favorites folder.

Remember that items you post to the discussion forum may be read by any member of the class, including the teacher. However, nobody outside the class has access to your contributions.

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• How can we launch a nationwide drug menace?
• Explain the practical and theoretical issues surrounding drug classification.
• Describe seven ways drugs may be classified.
• Explain Ray and Ksir's four revolutions in drug use. Evaluate the claims made.
• Explain four principles of psychoactive drugs.
• What methods are used in drug epidemiology. To what extent is each method useful?
• What factors, according to epidemiological research, correlate with drug misuse and abuse? Explain how age, gender, socioeconomic status, and personality relate to drug use. Outline and explain the risk factors and the protective factors for drug abuse.
• Explain and evaluate two social attitudes toward drug use. In what ways may control be justified?
• Do drugs cause crime? Include the more cynical view.
• Compare and contrast three explanations of drug addiction.
• What are the DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence? Do behavioral addictions meet the criteria?
• What cognitive changes may occur in the process of treatment for drug addiction?
• Compare and contrast three treatment goals.
• What are the stages of treatment for addiction?
• Explain, with examples, the various approaches to (methods for) treatment of addiction.
• How can contingency contracting and conjoint therapies be applied to drug addiction problems? Are they effective?
• Compare, contrast, and evaluate three models for the prevention of drug abuse.
• Of the specific tactics for drug abuse prevention (in any population or populations you like), identify and explain three that you believe have the most potential for actually being effective. Explain why you think those three are more likely to be effective than others.
• Outline the structure of the brain, with special reference to the effects of drugs in each brain area.
• Describe the various routes of drug administration. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
• Calculate the relative fat solubility of a drug of a particular pH and pKa in solutions of particular pH, using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.
• How do drug half-lives relate to the effectiveness of a dose of a drug?
• Label the components of a typical dose-response curve.
• Describe how drug action is terminated and drugs are eliminated from the body.
• Are particular populations of people more likely than others to demonstrate problem drug use?
• If there are differences in drug problems in different populations, what demographic factors seem to contribute to drug use?

3. Computation problems. This link is to exercises in computing various drug problems, including dose problems and Henderson-Hasselbalch ratios. An answer key is also available.

1. Explain the many manifestations of tolerance.
2. Can someone be harmed by a dosage of a drug to which tolerance has been developed? How?
3. Describe the various routes of drug administration. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
4. Label the components of a typical dose-response curve.
5. Describe how drug action is terminated and drugs are eliminated from the body.
6. What are the categories of CNS depressants? Give an example of each.
7. Outline the progressive stages of CNS depression or sedation from drugs.
8. Outline and explain Julien's principles of CNS depressant action.
9. What are polysynaptic pathways, and why are they the first to be depressed?
10. What is GABA?  What does it do?
11. What is a GABA receptor?  How is its action affected by barbiturates and benzodiazepines?
12. Why is usage of barbiturates declining?
13. How do the pharmacokinetics of barbiturates lead to their sub-classification?
14. Outline the pharmacological and psychological effects of the barbiturates.
15. What are the mechanisms whereby tolerance develops to barbiturates? Is barbiturate tolerance uniform?
16. What are the risks of physical and psychological dependence on barbiturates?
17. Explain the hypothesis that general anaesthetics work by disrupting flow of ions across the neuron membrane.
18. Outline six types of inhalants, with examples of each.
19. What are the special risks associated with inhalant abuse?
20. Outline and explain the progression of legislative control of drugs during the 20th century. What are the principles that have gradually emerged in the process? In what sequence?
21. Outline the process of drug testing and approval as governed by the FDA.
22. Describe the historical development of the CNS depressants, showing how each reputed advance ended up producing additional problems.
23. Explain the action of the barbiturates. What factors differentiate the short- and long-acting forms?
24. When and for what reasons are the benzodiazepines preferable to earlier compounds such as the barbiturates?
25. How do the benzodiazepines, both agonists and antagonists, work? What do they do pharmacologically and behaviorally?
26. Outline the anxiety disorders for which benzodiazepines are effective.
27. Describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the benzodiazepines. Should older people use them? Why not?
28. Describe the pharmacokinetics of ethyl alcohol.
29. Describe the pharmacodynamics of ethyl alcohol.
30. Present a history of alcohol use and abuse.
31. Outline, with explanations, the chronic effects of alcohol consumption on body systems.
32. What is the history of amphetamine use and abuse?
33. How do the effects of amphetamines change with increasing dosage?
34. How does drug usage relate to AD/HD?
35. Outline the history of cocaine use and abuse.
36. Explain the preparation of the various forms of cocaine. How effective is each form?
37. Why was powdered cocaine HCl popular with the upper middle class? Why was crack cocaine use epidemic in inner city neighbourhoods?
38. Evaluate the research on crack babies.
39. What are the pharmacodynamics of cocaine? What are its short term and long term side effects?
40. How does tolerance to cocaine develop?
41. Outline the plant sources of xanthines.
42. What are the pharmacodynamic effects of caffeine?
43. Explain the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of caffeine.
44. Outline the research over reproductive effects of caffeine. What do you recommend?
45. What is the mechanism responsible for caffeine withdrawal?
46. Since nicotine is now known to act to enhance dopamine activity in the nucleus accumbens, should it be classed with caffeine or with amphetamine and cocaine?
47. What are the side effects of caffeine? Are there any fetal effects?
48. What are the various methods for administering nicotine? What are the relative blood levels produced by each method? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the various routes of administration of nicotine.
49. Describe the pharmacodynamics of nicotine.
50. Outline the side effects of nicotine.
51. How can we treat nicotine addiction?