Annual Editions: Drugs, Society, and Behavior 07/08 Book

Unit 1. Living with Drugs

1. 45382Hey, You Don’t Look So Good, Catherine Arnst, Business Week, May 8, 2006

As diagnosis of once-rare illness soar, doctors say drug companies are disease mongering to boost sales. This article discusses some of the pharmaceutical realities of the free market.

2. 45001Living the High Life: The Role of Drug Taking in Young People’s Lives, Karenza Moore and Steven Miles, Drugs and Alcohol Today, August 2005

The vast majority of young drug users see drug use as a positive experience. Read this article and discover the views the authors hold regarding the social roles of drug use.

3. 41375Methamphetamine Across America: Misconceptions, Realities and Solutions, Carol L. Falkowski, Spectrum: The Journal of State Government, Fall 2004

As the abuse of methamphetamine increases across the United States, the strain on public and private resources worsens. Author Carol Falkowski suggests some solutions.

4. 45002Balding, Wrinkled and Stoned, Jeffrey Kluger and Jeffrey Ressner, Time, January 23, 2006

The 1960s are gone, but for some baby boomers, the drugs are not. This article provides a guide to the costs of a forty-year high.

5. 41365America’s Most Dangerous Drug, David J. Jefferson, Newsweek, August 8, 2005

It creates a potent, long-lasting high—until the user crashes and,too often, literally burns. Shown here is how meth quietly marched across the country and up the socioeconomic ladder—and the wreckage it leaves in its wake. Are the Feds doing all they can to contain this epidemic?

6. 45003With Scenes of Blood and Pain, Ads Battle Methamphetamine in Montana, Kate Zernike, New York Times National, March 3, 2006

The Montana Meth Project—a saturation ad campaign targeting methamphetamine abuse in Montana—has residents talking. As one Montana teenager said, “It’s like watching a car wreck, you can’t take your eyes off it.”

7. 45004My Mother: The Narc, Sarah Childress and Ellen F. Harris, Newsweek, April 10, 2006

Do home drug-testing kits help or hurt teens? Is this the right way to come clean? Find out how the idea of home drug testing is received.

8. 45005Pass the Weed, Dad, Marni Jackson, Maclean's, November 7, 2005

Parents smoking dope with their kids—what are they thinking? Marni Jackson discusses the reality of children who’s parents used marijuana and the effects this has on them.

9. 45006Did Prohibition Really Work?: Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation, Jack S. Blocker, Jr., American Journal of Public Health, February 2006

This article discusses the legacies of Prohibition from diverse historical perspectives. Is failure the correct work to associate with this complex social process?

Unit 2. Understanding How Drugs Work—Use, Dependency, and Addiction

10. 45007Addiction Is a Brain Disease, Alan I. Leshner, Issues in Science and Technology, Spring 2001

How often do the latest scientific discoveries related to addiction get translated into practice when addressing drug abuse? How is the “brain-based” view of addiction changing the way we think about it?

11. 40083Predicting Addiction, Lisa N. Legrand, William G. Iacono, and Matt McGue, American Scientist, March-April 2005

The science of behavioral genetics has used twins and time to decipher the origins of addiction to help learn who is most vulnerable. Some markers of risk are analyzed.

12. 45009Staying Sober, Andreas Heinz, Scientific American Mind, April/May 2006

A new understanding of how alcohol alters brain chemistry is providing options for treating alcoholism. Will it help prevent the disease?

13. 45010The Effects of Alcohol on Physiological Processes and Biological Development, Alcohol Research and Health, vol. 28, no. 3, 2004/2005

This article summarizes the physiological effects of alcohol on adolescents. To what degree is early drinking related to biological changes that influence one’s later liability for addiction?

14. 45011The Toxicity of Recreational Drugs, Robert S. Gable, American Scientist, May/June 2006

“All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing a poison.” Paracelsus (1493-1541). To what degree does a scientific understanding of a drugs pharmacology influence a person’s decision to use it?

15. 45012Structural Differences Found in Brains of Heavy Marijuana Users, The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory and Application, June 2005

Does heavy marijuana use cause structural alterations in the brains of users? This article addresses some impacts of marijuana use at the cellular level.

16. 45013Does Cannabis Cause Psychosis or Schizophrenia?, Drugs and Alcohol Today, August 2005

While most agree that there are links between cannabis use and psychosis and cannabis use and schizophrenia, the verdict is not in. This article discusses some recent findings.

Unit 3. The Major Drugs of Use and Abuse

17. 45014A More Addictive Meth Emerges as States Curb Homemade Type, Kate Zernike, The New York Times National, January 23, 2006

As some states succeeded in reducing the number of homemade meth labs, super labs in Mexico stepped in to supply a purer, more powerful, and more dangerous form of the drug. The dangerous new implications of this are addressed.

18. 45383Just Say No? No Need Here, Abigail Sullivan Moore, The New York Times, January 16, 2005

A new strategy to curb the rates of college drinking is being discussed as one way to help students responsibly regulate drinking practices. Is this a good approach?

19. 45016A Harvest of Treachery, Ron Moreau and Sami Yousafzai, Newsweek, January 9, 2006

Afghanistan’s drug trade is threatening the stability of a nation the U.S. went to war to stabilize. Sales of opium and heroin comprise more than half of the nation’s economy.

20. 45017An End to ‘Power Hour’, T. Trent Gegax, Newsweek, June 6, 2005

A tragic alcohol fatality brings a crackdown on the time-honored custom of birthday binging. Can these new laws work?

21. 41388 Helping Students Stay Clean and Sober , Joshua Karlin-Resnick, The Chronicle of Higher Education , August 13, 2004

More colleges are creating programs for students who are recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. Does ‘social norm’ strategy reduce drinking at colleges?

22. 45019The Power of Potent Steroids, Rachel Adelson, Monitor on Psychology, July/August 2005

New research raises questions about the addictiveness of steroids. Find out why what you don’t know can hurt you.

23. 45020Cannabis-Related Problems and Their Management, Jan Copeland, Drugs and Alcohol Today, August 2005

Despite it being the most common illicit drug in the world, treatment for cannabis use is not readily available. This article discusses some of the most recent thinking on treating cannabis abuse.

24. 45021Pot Farms Ravaging Park Land, Chuck Squatriglia, San Francisco Chronicle, September 6, 2006

The discovery of 22,740 marijuana plants growing on national park land just north of San Francisco wasn’t only the biggest pot seizure ever made in Marin County; it was an environmental mess that will take months and tens of thousands of dollars to clean up.

Unit 4. Other Trends in Drug Use

25. 45022Resurgence of Teen Inhalant Use, Ron Chepesiuk, Environmental Health Perspectives, December 2005

Inhalant abuse, or “huffing,” is rising again among American school kids, particularly eighth graders. What is refueling this trend?

26. 45023New Study Shows 1.8 Million Youth Use Inhalants, Teddi Dineley Johnson, The Nation's Health, May 2006

While overall drug use among young people has gone down the last four years, rates of children abusing inhalants rose sharply. The reasons for this are discussed.

27. 45024The Changing Face of Teenage Drug Abuse—The Trend toward Prescription Drugs, Richard A. Friedman, New England Journal of Medicine, April 6, 2006

As one teen from Texas states, “prescription drugs are a lot easier to get than street drugs. Kids can get them on the street, from parents and friends, or on the Internet.” Read this article and learn more regarding the comments of this teen.

28. 45025OxyContin Acting as Pathway Drug for Adolescent Heroin Addiction, The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, July 2005

Reports from around the country indicate that teenagers who abuse OxyContin are switching to heroin and are paying less for it. This article provides a different look into the evolution of the drug economy.

29. 45026Club Drugs: Study Explores Reasons for Use by Young Adults, The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory and Application, February 2005

Club drugs such as XTC, GHB, ketamine, Rohypnol, meth, and LSD are typically used by young persons to enhance social interactions. But according to one study, youths are reporting negative consequences.

30. 45027Rx for Trouble, Melissa Klein, Current Health, January 2006

The latest teen drug trend known as “pharming” is alarming parents and teachers. Do drug advertisements influence this trend?

31. 45028Studies Identify Factors Surrounding Rise in Abuse of Prescription Drugs by College Students, Lori Whitten, National Institute on Drug Abuse, March 2006

This study’s findings suggest that students enrolled in the most selective colleges have high levels of past-year stimulant abuse. What variables are contributing to this trend?

32. 45029The Best High They’ve Ever Had, Hilary Shenfeld, Newsweek, June 12, 2006

Street users call it “drop dead,” “flat-line” and “fefe.” Cops know it as a deadly mix of heroin and fentanyl. Read this article and find out how this lethal combination is affecting users.

33. 45387Some Cold Medicines Moved Behind the Counter, Linda Bren, FDA Consumer, July/August 2006

Some over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines are being locked up as pharmacies nationwide are asked to join the fight against illegal drug production.

34. 41398Facing an Uncertain Twilight, Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post National Weekly Edition, January 31/February 6, 2005

Addicts of all ages have similar problems, but seniors have some distinguishing ones. This article discusses a growing concern about older addicts.

Unit 5. Measuring the Social Costs of Drugs

35. 45032Meth Addicts’ Other Habit: Online Theft, Byron Acohido and Jon Swartz, USA Today, December 15, 2005

Meth addicts skilled in identity theft are turning to computers and the Internet to expand their criminal activity. This article examines the inner workings of a ring of addicts as the costs of meth abuse continue to rise.

36. 45033Mothers Addicted to Meth Face Losing Their Children, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, July 18, 2005

While the term “meth babies” lacks the name recognition of “crack babies,” meth’s reality exceeds all other drugs in terms of child welfare placements. This article provides examples of the new numbers.

37. 45034The Role of Substance Abuse in U.S. Juvenile Justice Systems and Populations, Heather Horowitz, Hung-En Sung, and Susan E. Foster, Corrections Compendium, January/February 2006

Nearly 89 percent of juvenile arrests involve children and teens who are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. This article includes some discussion of the variables that influence this.

38. 41405My Spirit Lives, Roxanne Chinook, Social Justice, Vol. 31, No. 4, 2004

This personal narrative reflects the reality of life for many contemporary Native American women: violence, addiction, and fear.

39. 45036When Drinking Kills, Evita Nancy Torre, Ladies’ Home Journal, January 2006

Alcohol abuse is the number one drug problem among American teens, and girls are more susceptible to the drug than boys. You can find some advice for confronting this problem.

40. 45037What Alcohol Does to a Child, Christine Gorman, Time, June 5, 2006

Even moderate drinking during pregnancy can produce long-lasting effects. Yet research shows that at best 1 in 12 pregnant women still drink. Where do health policies fail at reducing this?

41. 45038The Problem With Drinking, Cheryl Harris Sharman, Perspectives in Health, vol. 10, no. 1, 2005

The abuse of alcohol is an international issue. The wider problem of alcohol in the Americas is discussed in this article. Is this a good example of a world-wide epidemic of alcohol abuse?

42. 45039ADHD Drugs and Cardiovascular Risk, Steven E. Nissen, New England Journal of Medicine, April 6, 2006

In February 2006, the FDA voted to recommend a “black-box” warning on stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD. This article adds another dimension to one of America’s most important drug debates.

43. 45040High on the Job, Michael A. Gips, Security Management, February 2006

Drug dealers in the workplace are becoming increasingly common and difficult to identify. This article discusses the impact of drugs in the American workplace.

Unit 6. Creating and Sustaining Effective Drug Control Policy

44. 45041Administration Announces Anti-Methamphetamine Plan, Criminal Justice Newsletter, August 15, 2005

After months of responding to criticism from congressional leaders about the out-of-control meth problem, the Bush administration says it has a plan to mitigate the plague. Why is this so late in coming and can it work?

45. 45042Court Upholds Federal Authority to Reject ‘Medical Marijuana’, Criminal Justice Newsletter, June 15, 2005

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the federal government’s authority to enforce marijuana laws. Does this mean the end of medical cannabis?

46. 45388Medical Marijuana, Compassionate use, and Public Policy: Expert Opinion or Vox Populi?, Peter J. Cohen, Hastings Center Report, May/June 2006

Although cannabis has been used as a therapeutic agent throughout history, is has never been submitted to the FDA for approval. Would it pass the test?

47. 45044Is Drug Testing of Athletes Necessary?, Matthew J. Mitten, USA Today, November 2005

Matthew Mitten argues that imposing drug-testing programs on sports organizations is wrong. The federal government disagrees. Who should police performance enhancing drug use by professional athletes?

48. 45045Meth Madness, Susan Ladika, Society for Human Resource Management, December 2005

Drug testing programs are booming in the workplace as employers fight to keep meth out of the workplace. How much is this costing, and does it work?

49. 45046How to Stand Up to Big Tobacco, Noreena Hertz, New Statesman, June 12, 2006

Five hundred million people will die of smoking-related diseases in the next fifty years. Poor households in Morocco spend more on tobacco than on health and education combined. Can taxation of tobacco products derail this?

50. 41409 Cigarette Trafficking: Expanding Criminal Activity Attracts Law Enforcement Attention, Jack Holleran, Women Police, Spring 2005

Criminals and terrorist organizations are profiting from illegal trade in contraband cigarettes at a great cost to society.

51. 45047Battles Won, A War Still Lost, The Economist, February 12, 2005

Cocaine cultivation in Colombia is down dramatically. The price of cocaine, however, is also down. Have cultivation and production simply been displaced, or is cocaine losing its popularity?

52. 45048The War on Thugs, Nate Blakeslee, Texas Monthly, September 2005

In rural Texas, multi-jurisdiction drug enforcement task forces are fighting to stay in business. Is this an example of local drug policy gone haywire?

53. 45049Arresting the Drug Laws, David Silverberg, The Progressive, August 2005

A grass roots organization of current and retired police officers, judges, and prison wardens says the drug war is costing too much. The government says drug use is down. Who is right?

54. 41411State’s Evidence, Will Baude, The New Republic, June 7, 2005

In response to California’s medical use of marijuana, the Supreme Court lays down the law relative to federal authority over state marijuana laws.

Unit 7. Prevention, Treatment, and Education

55. 45050How to Quit the Cure, Raina Kelley, Newsweek, August 8, 2005

By some estimates, as many as one in ten American adults take anti-depressants. But getting off of them can be tricky. This article provides some new advice on what to do about treating depression.

56. 45051Drug Treatment and Reentry for Incarcerated Women, Doris Wells and Laurie Bright, Corrections Today, December 2005

Historically, justice systems have applied the same drug treatment programs for incarcerated women as for incarcerated men. It doesn’t work. Here are some examples of new thinking relative to female offenders and drug treatment.

57. 45052Combination Treatment of One Year Doubles Smokers’ Quit Rate, Patrick Zickler, National Institute on Drug Abuse, March 2006

Nearly 80 percent of smokers trying to quit relapse within one year. A new program, however, is making progress with this powerful and deadly addiction. Why is treating nicotine addiction so difficult?

58. 45053Medication & Counseling: The ‘New Paradigm’ in Alcoholism Treatment, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, July 25, 2005

Researchers are discovering that supplementing traditional alcohol rehab programs with drug therapy can dramatically improve the odds of escaping from alcoholism. Why do these drugs help?

59. 45054A Teen Health Gap, Barbara Kantrowitz and Karen Springen, Newsweek, December 12, 2005

Adolescents have unique medical issues and physicians have not historically been proactive in engaging young patients in talk about drug use. This article provides some discussion on how that is changing.

60. 45055Teens Caught in the Middle: Juvenile Justice System and Treatment, The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, January 2006

Drug treatment for young persons involved with the juvenile justice system is grossly inadequate. This article discusses the trend to change this. But are we still falling short?

61. 41423 No Longer Theory: Correctional Practices That Work, Harvey Shrum, Journal of Correctional Education, September 2004

Harvey Shrum asserts that America has become so focused on prisons as the answer to social ills that today, one in thirty-seven Americans is or has been incarcerated. Over eighty percent of those incarcerated committed their offense while under the influence of drugs. This article discusses two new ways to prevent drug-related recidivism.

62. 45056Parent Power, Joseph A. Califano, Jr., America, October 31, 2005

Author Joseph Califano argues that the price for parental pessimism and ambivalence toward drugs is high. This discussion centers on the importance of talking to kids about drugs.

63. 45057What to Say When Your Child Asks: Did You Ever Do Drugs?, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, October 3, 2005

For many parents, talking to their kids about drugs involves difficult decisions about what to say regarding their own past drug use. This article provides some straightforward advice on how to confront some of these difficult questions.

64. 41424 Exercise and Drug Detoxification, Simon Oddie, Prison Service Journal, November 2004

It has long been recognized in the physical education community that physical exercise can play a major role in detoxification and rehabilitation. This article describes a British correctional program proving successful in helping prisoners recover from drug abuse.