The university of tennessee at martin

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT MARTIN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE

COURSE SYLLABUS

Instructor: Dr. Deborah J. Gibson

Office: 3031 Elam Center

Phone: [phone]

E-Mail: [e-mail]
I. COURSE TITLE AND NUMBER
Health 351

Substance Abuse

II. SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS
3 semester credit hours
III. CATALOG DESCRIPTION/PURPOSE
Topics: (selected areas) Topics in contemporary health issues. The subject matter is indicated by the third digit: 1 for substance abuse (3 hrs), 2 for environmental concerns (2 hrs), 3 for human sexuality (3 hrs), and 4 for aging populations (2 hrs). May enroll in one or more selected areas.
IV. RATIONALE
Today more than ever, drugs affect our daily lives. We can be the beneficiary of drugs or we can become their victims. This course introduces the student to the basic facts and the major issues concerning drug-taking behavior. In addition, strategies for drug abuse prevention, education and rehabilitation will be covered.
V. GOALS/OBJECTIVES
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Each student will understand:
1. Basic terminology concerning drugs and drug-taking behavior

2. The origins and history of drugs and drug-taking behavior

3. Present day statistics of drug use in the United States

4. Current trends in drug-taking behavior

5. The personal and social dangers of drug abuse

6. Effective and lethal dose-response curves as indices of drug toxicity

7. Drug tolerance and its problems for drug abusers

8. The distinction between physical and psychological dependence

9. The impact of drug abuse on pregnancy and AIDs

10. The relationship between drug abuse and violent crime

11. U.S. drug enforcement policy and an attempt to regulate drug-taking behavior

12. The ways drugs enter and exit the body

13. Factors determining the physiological impact of drugs

14. The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system

15. How neurons work and how they communicate with each other

16. Explanation of drug actions on neurotransmitters

17. The placebo effect in drug-taking behavior

18. The history of cocaine, amphetamine, marijuana, the major narcotics and how these drugs work in the brain

19. Treatment strategies for heroin dependence

20. The classification of hallucinogenic drugs

21. The special dangers of phencyclidine (PCP), ketamine, and MDMA (Ecstasy)

22. The question of marijuana decriminalization

23. The history of drug abuse in sports

24. How anabolic steroids work

25. The health risks associated with steroid abuse

26. Patterns of steroid use

27. Dietary supplements used as ergogenic aids

28. Present-day drug testing in amateur and professional athletics

29. Patterns of alcohol consumption

30. The pharmacology of alcohol

31. Acute physiological and behavioral effects of alcohol

32. Strategies for responsible alcohol consumption

33. Patterns of chronic alcohol abuse

34. Approaches to treatment for alcoholism

35. Adverse health consequences from tobacco use

36. Patterns of inhalant abuse and its chronic effects

37. The distinction between prescription and OTC drugs

38. FDA procedures for approving new drugs

39. Newly developed sedative-hypnotics and anti-anxiety drugs

40. Drug that are commonly used as date-rape drugs

41. Treatment for panic attacks, mania, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder

42. How antidepressant work in the brain

43. The biopsychosocial approach to drug-abuse treatment

44. Prison-alternative and prison-based treatment programs

45. The importance of family dynamics in drug abuse and treatment

46. The National Drug Control Policy and Healthy People 2010 strategies and goals for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention.

47. Successful school-based prevention and education programs

48. Risk factors, protective factors, and resiliency theory

49. The importance of family systems in prevention and education

50. Multicultural issues in prevention and education

VI. COURSE CONTENT/LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Week 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to Drugs and Society

Chapter 2: Explaining Drug Use and Abuse

Week 2 Chapter 3: Drug Use, Regulation, and the Law
Week 3 Chapter 4: Homeostatic Systems and Drugs
Week 4 Chapter 5: How and Why Drugs Work
Week 5 Chapter 6: CNS Depressants: Sedative-Hypnotics
Week 6 Chapter 7: Alcohol: Pharmacological Effects

Chapter 8: Alcohol: A Behavioral Perspective

Week 7 Chapter 9: Narcotics
Week 8 Chapter 10: Stimulants
Week 9 Chapter 11: Tobacco
Week 10 Chapter 12: Hallucinogens
Week 11 Chapter 13: Marijuana
Week 12 Chapter 14: Inhalants
Week 13 Chapter 15: Over-the-Counter, Prescription, and Herbal Drugs
Week 14 Chapter 16: Drug Use Within Major Subcultures
Week 15 Chapter 17: Drug Use/Abuse Prevention

Chapter 18: Treating Drug Dependence

VII. EVALUATION

5 multiple choice; true/false; short answer exams = 250 points

Final Comprehensive Exam = 200 points

450 possible points

Attendance is mandatory

You will drop 1 letter grade for every 3^rd absence.

Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodation due to a disability is requested to provide a letter of accommodation from the Student Academic Support Center within the first two weeks of the semester.

Attendance Policy

Dr. Gibson's class DOES have an attendance policy.

You will be allowed three (3) absences without penalty for the full term. After the third absence you will drop 1 letter grade. You will continue to drop a letter grade with every 3rd class missed thereafter. An absence will not be recorded/penalized for the following reasons:

* participation in a UTM sponsored activity

* doctor's orders specifically excusing you from attending classes that day

* extraordinary circumstances such as ice-covered highways that prevent safe

travel to campus or a major family emergency.

Original bona fide documentation must be provided to receive an attendance waiver. All other reasons cannot be used to obtain an attendance waiver.
VIII. TEXTBOOK(S)
Hanson, Venturelli, and Fleckenstein. (2006) Drugs and Society, 9^th ed. Jones and Bartlett Publishing.
IX. OTHER RESOURCES
Textbooks

Levinthal, C.F. (2002) Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society, 3rd ed. Boston, MA:

Allyn and Bacon Publishers.
Levinthal, C.F. (2003) Point/Counterpoint: Opposing Perspectives On Issues Of

Drug Policy. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Publishers.
Journals

Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education

Journal of American College Health

Journal of School Health
Web Links
National Institute of Drug Abuse

http://www.nida.nih.gov/

Partnership for a Drug-Free America

http://www.drugfreeamerica.org/
Centers for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

http://www.health.org/links/alcDrug.htm

X. PREREQUISITES

None
XI. FACULTY FREQUENTLY TEACHING THE COURSE
Dr. Deborah Gibson
XII. PROGRAM(S) IN WHICH COURSE IS REQUIRED
B.S. in Health and Human Performance, all concentrations

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