AP/SOSC 3118 3.00
Drugs and Society
Drug production and drug use often bring conflicts between those who enjoy or profit from them and those who deplore their effects. This course examines the forces behind these conflicts, their influence on public policies and some of their social consequences. Public policies regarding drugs have been strangely inconsistent. Some drugs (tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals) are tolerated, regulated, and taxed, while others (using heroin, cocaine or cannabis) are criminalized, and sometimes it’s only the forms of consumption and access that change the legal status (oxycodone is legal if prescribed by your doctor, but illegal if you purchase or trade on the street). These policies vary from place to place and have shifted over time. What accounts for their differences? What effects have they had? How and why do they change? In addressing these questions, the course moves from an opening discussion of theoretical issues to a series of historical case studies in the public control of addictive substances, looking especially at alcohol, opiates, pharmaceuticals, and tobacco. Lessons drawn from these studies will then inform an analysis of current policy debates on such topics as harm reduction measures for opiates, decriminalization of marijuana, supervised injection sites, pharmaceutical regulation, and court-mandated treatment for alcoholics. The course concludes by situating these debates within the larger context of health activism and social justice for drug users.