General objectives. To understand and be able to compare

• 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.

• 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.

General course arrangement.

Tuesday: Basic terminology and principles of drug use and abuse: Chapters 1 and 2.

Wednesday: Drug addiction and preventing abuse: Chapters 3 and 4.

Thursday: Drug regulations and the nervous system: Chapters 5 and 6

Friday: Principles of drug action: Chapter 7

Monday: Stimulants: Chapter 8

Tuesday: Common stimulants: Chapters 13 and 14

Wednesday: Depressants and inhalants: Chapter 9

Thursday and Friday: Alcohol: Chapters 11 and 12

Monday: Psychopharmacology: Chapter 10

Tuesday: Opiates: Chapter 16

Wednesday: Psychedelics and hallucinogens: Chapter 17

Thursday: Marijuana and OTC drugs: Chapters 18 and 15

Friday: Drugs for modifying bodily functions: Chapter 19

Required textbook.

Ray, O. & Ksir, C. (2004) Drugs, society,and human behavior, 10e. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Major assignments and expectations.

1. Read assigned material in the textbook and elsewhere, and use it to contribute to class discussions. Occasional, unannounced in-class or electronic writing assignments or quizzes will draw on your reading. You must read all of the assigned material, whether it is covered in class or not. Most readings will be useful in class discussion. As missed quizzes and other in-class assignments may not be replaced, perfect attendance is to your advantage. The course also has a home page, which may provide helpful information, including this syllabus. 15%

2. Three content examinations

Friday, May 14.............................15%

Friday, May 21.............................15%

Friday, May 28.............................15%

3. Paper or project (videotape, PowerPoint class presentation, Web site) on a topic approved by the instructor.

• 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.
• Submit a proposal of one page in length by May 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 May 26, 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, connections, and evaluation.
• 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.

4. Find and read current, relevant articles in newspapers, public affairs magazines, and popular magazines. These articles must deal with statistics about drug use, opinions or policy about drug use, development of new drugs, discovery of new uses for existing drugs, or discovery of side effects of drugs. A compendium of articles, many of which are relevant to this learning activity, is available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. The compendium is updated daily.

a. Bring a synopsis of one article to class for discussion each day. Post at least 10 of your synopses in the class shared folder.

b. Then, for each of the following due dates, choose one of the articles you have read, and do further scholarly research (books, journal articles, appropriate Web sites) to help you evaluate the article. Write a one-page critique of the claims made in the article, using your scholarly sources.

i. Due May 18

ii. Due May 25

(Total value: 10%)

5. Applied project. Take your pick of two of the following. If you prefer, suggest an alternative for my approval. Complete the projects, write a one page report on each, and submit the reports by May 27, for 5% each.

a. Visit a drug rehabilitation center. Interview counselors, administrators, and patients about the role of the center. Ask what opportunities for service learning there are at the center . What is the potential for a Houghton College group partnering with this agency?

b. Attend an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Alateen, or a similar 12-Step group. Then, with another student, investigate the need for a 12-step program of any sort at Houghton, and discuss and describe how one could be established.

c. Take a free visit at a weight loss clinic. Does the clinic use 12-step ideas? Which ones? How could a Houghton College group form a partnership with this clinic?

d. Call drug-information hotlines (but not a crisis hotline, unless you are in a crisis). Inquire about two separate drugs of abuse. In your report, evaluate how helpful the line was to you. Should a hotline of any sort be established at Houghton, or in your home town? What are the specific problems that such a hotline could address?

e. Design and conduct an opinion poll about druguse, drug abuse, drug education, or drug abuse services, using a sample of at least 50 people who are over the age of 18. Consult with me as you prepare your questions, and report your results clearly.

f. Explore the training and credentialing requirements to become a drug abuse counselor in your home state. What would you still need to do to become credentialed?

• American Psychological Association

• The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information has a well-developed website, with survey results, and a variety of drug education programs.
• Food and Drug Administration

• National Institutes of Health

• National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

• Slang terms or street names for drugs can be identified via this dictionary.
• Another resource for drug identification is this site by the Partnership for a Drug Free America.
• The Office of National Drug Control Policy is the location of the "drug czar" John P. Walters

• Student Projects:
• Melissa Hobbs on methylphenidate/Ritalin treatment of AD/HD.
• Susan Ventresca on drug treatment of Bipolar Disorder. (Reference list)

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• United States Information Agency (USIA) sometimes has relevant information, especially on internationals perspectives on drug use and trafficking.

• Web of Addictions: A commercial site which offers current drug information from an anti-drug abuse perspective. 

  ---

Examination One

Examination Two

Examination Three

2. Essay questions: This is not an exhaustive list. Prepare the questions at the end of each chapter, as well.

• 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. Are we in the midst of a fifth revolution?
• Explain four principles of psychoactive drug effects.
• What methods are used in drug epidemiology? To what extent is each method useful?
• What correlates to illicit drug use have been found in correlational research? What are the protective factors and the risk factors? Explain each of them.
• Write an essay for publication in a newspaper, advising parents about how to lessen the risk that their children will abuse drugs. Are parents the anti-drug?
• Explain and evaluate two social attitudes toward drug use. In what ways may control be justified?
• Outline and explain the methods of drug education. How effective are drug education methods in affecting drug misuse and abuse in various target populations?
• Do drugs cause crime? Include the more cynical view.
• Compare and contrast three global explanations of drug addiction.
• What role do the actual substances play in addictive processes?
• What are the DSM-IV criteria for Substance Dependence? For Substance Abuse? 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 in the treatment of addiction. Which do you think is the best? Why?
• What are the stages of treatment for addiction?
• Explain, with examples, the various methods used in the treatment of addiction.
• 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?
• Explain the many manifestations of tolerance.
• Can someone be harmed by a dosage of a drug to which tolerance has been developed? How?
• 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.
• Is it true that drug trafficking is concentrated in certain urban areas?
• If it is, why? Is it a simple matter of population density?
• 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?
• How do drug distribution, drug usage, and societal power structures relate to each other?
• How does the drug industry -- both the legitimate and the illegitimate sides -- target vulnerable people? Give examples.
• What are the categories of CNS depressants? Give an example of each.
• Outline the progressive stages of CNS depression or sedation from drugs.
• Outline and explain Julien's principles of CNS depressant action.
• What are polysynaptic pathways, and why are they the first to be depressed?
• What is GABA?  What does it do?
• What is a GABA receptor?  How is its action affected by barbiturates and benzodiazepines?
• Why is usage of barbiturates declining?
• How do the pharmacokinetics of barbiturates lead to their sub-classification?
• Outline the pharmacological and psychological effects of the barbiturates.
• What are the mechanisms whereby tolerance develops to barbiturates? Is barbiturate tolerance uniform?
• What are the risks of physical and psychological dependence on barbiturates?
• Explain the hypothesis, preferred by Julien, that general anaesthetics work by disrupting flow of ions across the neuron membrane.
• Outline six types of inhalants, with examples of each.
• What are the special risks associated with inhalant abuse?

1. Terms. Terms and essay questions in red below will not be asked on this exam.
 

mithradatism	tolerance	tachyphylaxis	pharmacokinetics
acute tolerance	mixed tolerance	metabolic tolerance	pharmacodynamics
physiological tolerance	behavioral tolerance	conditioned tolerance	Pure Food & Drug Act
cross tolerance	reverse tolerance	sensitization	Sherley Amendment
all methods of administration	efficacy	un-ionized	Harrison Narcotics Act
Henderson-Hasselbalch	barriers	placental "barrier"	Marijuana Tax Act
pKa	ion trapping	distribution half-life	Food, Drug & Cosmetics Act
elimination half-life	accumulation dosing	steady-state	Kefauver-Harris Amendments
dose-response curve	potency	slope	DEA
Controlled Substances Act	dosage	Schedules I - V	ONDCP
ED50	LD50	Therapeutic Index	safety margin
FDA approval process	limited human trials	broad clinical trials	sensitivity reports
GABAA receptor	GABAB receptor	BDZ receptor	BARB receptor
risk/benefit analysis	barbiturates	non-barbiturates	benzodiazepines
ethyl alcohol	thiopental	secobarbital	phenobarbital
general anaesthetics	glutethimide	methaqualone	tranquillizers
meprobamate	dicarbamate	paradoxical effects	REM rebound
"Love drug"	chlordiazepoxide	diazepam	flumazenil
nordiazepam	oxazepam	baclofen	panic disorders
phobias	obsessive-compulsive disorder	stress disorders	long-acting benzodiazepines
second-generation anxiolytics	antiepileptic drugs	alprazolam	buspirone
zolpidem	hydantoins	carbamazepine	valproic acid
disulfiram	isopropyl alcohol	methanol	ethanol
bromide	fluid mosaic model	chloral hydrate	Mickey Finn
methyl hydrate	inhalants	toluene	nitrous oxide
ether	hypoxia	acetaldehyde	fermentation
distillation	fortification	mixed beverages	proof
moonshiner’s test	Gin Lane	Beer Street	flavinoids
Albertus Magnus	Cisco	US system	Gin epidemic
Whiskey Rebellion	Plato	Triangular trade	amphetamine
Bennies	speed/ice/crystal	sympathomimetic	anorectic
caffeine fen-phen and sibutramine ephedrine clonidine theobroma cacao adenosine receptor snuff	theophylline theobromine methylxanthines Coffea arabica kola cacao ilex camellia sinensis	autoreceptors neurotransmitters acetylcholine norepinephrine epinephrine dopamine serotonin glutamic acid GABA	ionized drugs un-ionized drugs dynamic equilibrium magic bullet cross-dependence reversible binding ligand endorphins enkephalins Substance P
nucleus accumbens	stereotypy	methylphenidate	pemoline
Adderall	phentermine/phenmetrazine	dexfenfluramine	ephedrine/phenylephrine
Erythroxylon coca	cocaine base or paste	freebase	Niemann
benzoylecgonine	cocaethylene	transporter proteins	crack

2. Essay questions: This is not an exhaustive list.

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. Calculate the relative fat solubility of a drug of a particular pH and pKa in solutions of particular pH, using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.
5. Explain the principles of drug absorption, including the barriers to absorption and the mechanics involved in drug solubility ratios (pH of the drug, pKa of the drug, and pH of the solution). How do drug half-lives relate to the effectiveness of a dose of a drug?
6. Label the components of a typical dose-response curve.
7. Describe how drug action is terminated and drugs are eliminated from the body.
8. What are receptor proteins, and where are they found? Explain the functions of three types of receptor proteins (ion channel receptor complexes, G-protein couples receptors, transporters).
9. Explain five ways that a drug may act to affect synaptic transmission. (mimic, block, etc.)
10. What are the components of toxicity assessment? Explain the therapeutic index. Are any drugs 100% safe? Why or why not?
11. Outline the process of drug testing and approval as governed by the FDA.
12. How do drug distribution, drug usage, and societal power structures relate to each other?
13. How does the drug industry -- both the legitimate and the illegitimate sides -- target vulnerable people? Give examples.
14. What are the categories of CNS depressants? Give an example of each.
15. Outline the progressive stages of CNS depression or sedation from drugs.
16. Outline and explain Julien's principles of CNS depressant action.
17. What are polysynaptic pathways, and why are they the first to be depressed?
18. What is GABA?  What does it do?
19. What is a GABA receptor?  How is its action affected by barbiturates and benzodiazepines?
20. Why is usage of barbiturates declining?
21. How do the pharmacokinetics of barbiturates lead to their sub-classification?
22. Outline the pharmacological and psychological effects of the barbiturates.
23. What are the mechanisms whereby tolerance develops to barbiturates? Is barbiturate tolerance uniform?
24. What are the risks of physical and psychological dependence on barbiturates?
25. Describe the historical development of the CNS depressants, showing how each reputed advance ended up producing additional problems.
26. Explain the action of the barbiturates. What factors differentiate the short- and long-acting forms?
27. When and for what reasons are the benzodiazepines preferable to earlier compounds such as the barbiturates?
28. How do the benzodiazepines, both agonists and antagonists, work? What do they do pharmacologically and behaviorally?
29. Outline the anxiety disorders for which benzodiazepines are effective.
30. Describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the benzodiazepines. Should older people use them? Why not?
31. Describe the pharmacokinetics of ethyl alcohol.
32. Describe the pharmacodynamics of ethyl alcohol.
33. Present a history of alcohol use and abuse.
34. Outline, with explanations, the chronic effects of alcohol consumption on body systems.
35. What is the history of amphetamine use and abuse?
36. How do the effects of amphetamines change with increasing dosage?
37. How does drug usage relate to AD/HD?
38. Outline the history of cocaine use and abuse.
39. Explain the preparation of the various forms of cocaine. How effective is each form?
40. Why was powdered cocaine HCl popular with the upper middle class? Why was crack cocaine use epidemic in inner city neighbourhoods?
41. Evaluate the research on crack babies.
42. What are the pharmacodynamics of cocaine? What are its short term and long term side effects?
43. How does tolerance to cocaine develop?
44. Outline the plant sources of xanthines.
45. What are the pharmacodynamic effects of caffeine?
46. Explain the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of caffeine.
47. Outline the research over reproductive effects of caffeine. What do you recommend?
48. What is the mechanism responsible for caffeine withdrawal?
49. 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?
50. What are the side effects of caffeine? Are there any fetal effects?
51. 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.
52. Describe the pharmacodynamics of nicotine.
53. Outline the side effects of nicotine.
54. How can we treat nicotine addiction?
    

Back to top

Chapter 1: Terms, classification, interactions, drug effects, Ray & Ksir's revolutions, epidemiology

Chapter 2: Drug control attitudes and reasons, drugs and crime.

Chapter 3: Addiction, explanations, DSM-IV criteria, treatment goals and methods.

Chapter 4: Methods for prevention of drug use and abuse.

Chapter 5: Regulation of drug use. (Go to slides near the end of the presentation.)

Chapter 6 and 7: The nervous system and drug action. Pharmacokinetics.

Chapter 7: Pharmacodynamics

Chapter 8: Stimulants. Cocaine, amphetamines, ephedrine & co., weight-loss drugs

Chapters 13 and 14: More stimulants. Caffeine and tobacco.

Chapter 9: Depressants.

Chapter 9: Benzodiazepines

Chapter 10: Psychotherapeutic drugs

Chapter 11: Alcohol 1

Chapter 12: Alcohol 2

Chapter 16: Opioids

Chapter 17: Psychedelics and hallucinogens

Chapter 18: Marijuana

Chapter 19: Drug miscellany: Steroids

Chapter 15: Drug miscellany: NSAIDS and herbal remedies

Psychology home page

Houghton College home page

Copyright 1998 Paul D. Young Last updated 20 May, 2004.