The document provides an overview of a course on drugs, society, and human behavior. The course examines commonly used psychoactive substances and their effects on the human nervous system. It covers the history and patterns of drug use, medical effects, and legal and social consequences of abuse. Students will learn about major drug groups like depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. They will be evaluated through exams, assignments, a research paper, and discussion questions. The course aims to help students understand drug-response relationships and factors influencing substance abuse.

1. 1. What, in your opinion, is the main purpose of this book?
The main purpose of this book is to unfold the life journeys of
purposeful heroes especially John Adams, a brilliant and
fiercely independent person with a passion for American
Revolution. The book brings out Adams as a key leader that
contributed significantly to the birth of American Republican. It
gives one of the many examples of passionate and goal oriented
leaders that are worthy to follow. It gives an impression of
courageous and sincere leader with the ability to rise above any
form of circumstances with determination and eventual success.
Reading the biography of John Adams teaches many lessons
including the importance of balancing family responsibility and
ambitious activities.
2. What are the key questions or dilemmas that the author is
addressing?
One of the key issues raised by the author is the question of
balancing two unrelated aspects of life. By addressing the Joys
and enthusiasm of John Adams, we are enlightened on how one
can succeed in his or her ambitions even with serious
happenings in personal life. John Adams had several encounters
over his lifetime comprising losing his child and several
members of his family at infancy, losing his only surviving
daughter to cancer, and, eventually losing his wife. Despite all
this, he managed to build a joyful life for himself and nothing
stopped him from going after his ambitions. Another issue is the
difference between the early politics and modern politics which
seems to contradict in the way they are handled. The books
reveal the venomously and hatred in the early politics that cost
Adam and Jefferson’s friendship for 11 years. This is hard to be
applied today where modern politicians are so principled that
the level of indifference if any is kept at a minimal level.
3. The methods used to answer the key questions are? In other
words, the author’s conclusions are based on what type of
research and/or data? The author supports his/her assertions

2. with what evidence/examples? Are the examples effective?
Why? Why not?
The conclusion of the author gives theoretical facts about the
delusional people when it comes to the history of politics. He
gives an example of the view of Trumbell’s ‘Declaration of
Independence,' where Adams describes how people believed
Trumbell’s view disregarding the sacrifices and difficulties that
existent for years before and after signing the document.The
author is very effective in defining this by giving Adams as an
evidence of those people that are willing to take critical action
through sacrifice to make a difference. It reminds the readers
that it is not and it will never be easy to create something great
over a short period and that all achievements come with a
process.
4. In your opinion, the most important information in this book
is what?
I think the most important information in the book is political
operations that led to the birth of American republican. John
Adams have been the key character in the book made significant
contributions in the American Revolution. Even though it
wasn’t his wish to be in politics at first, he severally found
himself in the political arena through which he learned
drawbacks of the government. In his duty as the vice president
of U.S, he describes his term as “the most insignificant office
that ever the invention of a man contrived ".At Adams times,
the politicians were increasingly partisan a gap he hoped to
bridge. Eventually, he wins his fight for strong governance and
becomes the US president.
5. What is the main assumption underlying the author’s
thinking?
David McCullough must have assumed that the culture had
neglected and misunderstood popular icons in the history and so
they needed to be enlightened through cultural expression. In
his thinking, he had seen the importance of revealing more
diligent leaders that accomplished a lot in the history because
there were a few of them that were actually revealed in the

3. history books. By incorporating many essays about people and
ideas together, he presents an informative collection that will
remind everyone about the leaders that were not just involved in
American Revolution but were actually great contributors.
6. Please list the three most important passages from the book.
Make Sure to cite page numbers. Please list the passages, the
page #, as well as why you feel they are significant.
The first most unimportant passage in the book is where Adams
gives a message about change. He speaks to every country
saying, everything is liable to change, and every country can
undertake a change including the might kingdoms and states.
The passage describes how nations rise and spread their
influence globally (Page 19).This passage is a helpful guide to
any country struggling to embrace change.
The second most important passage is where Adams explains
the true meaning of a Republican. From the passage, he
describes the idea of a republic as all forms of good
governance. He further describes a Republican as “an empire of
laws and not of men,” a phrase he borrowed from James
Harrington’s philosophical writings (Page 62).From the passage,
we can learn that good governance is one with a representative
body other than a single legislative body. This ensures
distribution of powers and rights among the people in power
which accommodates all public’s interests.
The third most important passage is the author’s description of
Adams and Jefferson. They were both countrymen at heart and
farmers.Jefferson was more interested in practical things while
Adams liked to recommend historical and literary works (Page
233).This passage shows the similarities and differences in
personality and provides an implication of how possible any
people can cooperate.
7. How has the author of this book challenged your beliefs on
this subject?
The book has enlightened me on the varied beliefs within the
historical content. I find it so challenging when emphasizes how

4. great achievement comes with sacrifice, determination and a
long process of fighting difficulties and obstacles along the
way. It makes me think that nothing happens easily or for a
short period and all countries must follow suit. It forces me to
acknowledge his fact and view everything from his
perspective.Moreso, it challenges me to think before buying
anybody’s review on the history of our country.
1
Saint Leo University
SSC 328: Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior
Course Description:
This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the nature of
commonly used psychoactive substances
and their interaction with the human nervous system. Included
are the history and patterns of their use, as
well as the medical, legal, psychological, and sociological
consequences of their abuse. Current practices
and strategies for drug education and treatment are covered.
Prerequisite:
None
Textbook:
Hanson, G. R., Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2012).
Drugs and society. (11th ed.). Sudbury, MA:
Jones and Bartlett. ISBN-13: 9781449613693; ISBN-10:
1449613691

5. Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Define of psychoactive substances, drugs, abuse, etc.
substances.
e link between drug abuse, mental illness, and
criminal behavior.
drug use.
ion and
controlled substance laws.
-response relationships.
ychoactive drugs on neurons and
synapses.

6. nine major drug groups: CNS
depressants, alcohol, analgesics, stimulants, tobacco,
hallucinogens, marijuana,
psychotherapeutic, and nonprescription drugs.
Core Value:
Students are expected to be mindful of the Benedictine Core
Values of Saint Leo University when
submitting work, interviewing outside resources, and working in
groups. The Saint Leo University Core
Value that will be focused on in this course is Integrity.
Integrity: The commitment of Saint Leo University to
excellence demands that its members live its mission
to deliver on its promise. The faculty, staff and students pledge
to be honest, just, and consistent in word
and deed.
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated via the following:
Item Points Weight
Exams (4 @ 100 points each) 400 45%
Research Paper (1 @ 100 points) 100 20%
2

7. Written Assignments (3 @ 50 points each) 150 20%
Discussion Questions (8 @ 25 points each 200 15%
Total 850 100%
Grading Scale:
Grade Score (%)
A 94-100
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D+ 67-69
D 60-66
F 0-59
Exams:
Students will complete four exams, each consisting of 35
multiple choice and 15 true/false questions and
will be completed during Modules 2, 4, 6, and 8. Students will
be allowed one opportunity and given 75
minutes to complete each exam.
Written Assignments:
Each student will be required to submit three written
assignments (due during Modules 3, 5, and 8)
following the instructions given in the respective modules.

8. Research Paper:
Students will submit a research paper on a drug with the
potential for abuse or misuse. There are
numerous drugs that are utilized within our society today. Some
are found predominately within the
legitimate framework of medical practice, and others are
designed solely for recreational and
experimental purposes. No matter the use or the source, there is
a tremendous amount of information
available.
Students will pick a drug with some abuse potential that is NOT
well covered in the text. There are
numerous drugs both legal and illegal that can be investigated.
The paper will be due by Sunday 11:59
PM EST/EDT of Module 7. For complete instructions, review
the Research Paper Guidelines located in
the Resources section of the course menu.
APA Format:
APA is the American Psychological Association, and the style is
one of many in the academic world used
to regulate the language, citations, procedure and formatting of
manuscripts and other examples of
writing in the social sciences. Please be consistent throughout
each written assignment.
Discussions:
Class participation is an important, graded component of the
course. All students are expected to adhere
to the course syllabus and schedule. It is the responsibility of
the student to be aware of what is
happening in the class.
When preparing for the discussion assignments, the student

9. should plan on, at a minimum, three
separate discussion postings.
3
Initial posting: The first posting is due by 11:59 EST/EDT
Thursday of each module. The first
posting should be well thought-out, well-written, and include
appropriately cited research and text
references where applicable.
Response postings: Everyone is expected to build the discussion
by posting thoughtful and
substantive interactive responses to your classmates' posts. Two
instances of interaction are
required and more are encouraged. Interaction should include
constructive criticism (positive and
negative) offered in a supportive, collegial spirit. In an active
learning experience such as
discussion, constructive criticism can be a very powerful
learning tool if offered in this manner.
The deadline to post responses to classmates is 11:59 EST/EDT
Sunday of each module.
All communications in this course are required to be composed
in a professional format using names and
proper salutations, grammar, syntax, spelling, etc. No non-
professional "text messaging" styles of written
communication will be accepted.

11. 4
Course Schedule:
Module 1 Introduction to Drugs and Society: Drug Use and
Abuse
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:
cultural, social, and
contextual factors in society.
how widespread
their abuse is.
violence and also
on the workplace.
use as well as
low and high risk drug-taking behaviors.
xamine the major psychological and sociological

12. explanations of drug
usage and describe the four social influence theories, social
learning theory,
labeling theory, subculture theories, and the role of significant
others.
Assignments
Module 2 Drug Use, Regulation and the Law, and Drug
Prevention
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:
laws and
policies as well as the current controversy over legalizing
drugs.
Administration
(FDA) to ensure drugs safety and effectiveness and the steps
taken to
market the program.
ave

13. been viewed as
both sick and as criminals and how this has affected the laws
and policies
that have been developed.
substance abuse
prevention programs.
on strategies used in higher
education and
the effectiveness of these programs.
Assignments
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Post Introduction to the class Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 1 and 2
View “Film Opening” (recommended)
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)

14. Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Review Research Paper Guidelines
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 3 and 17
View “South Boston Drug Court” (recommended)
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)
Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Submit Research Paper topic Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Complete Exam 1 Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
5
Module 3 Homeostatic Systems, and How and Why Drugs Work
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:

15. methods and
explain how dose, age, body weight, gender, time, disease
processes, and
emotional states can affect drug actions.
differences between the Central Nervous System,
the Peripheral
Nervous System, and the functions of the sympathetic nervous
system, the
parasympathetic nervous system, and the endocrine systems.
one
to another and
describe the function of a neurotransmitter.
potentiative
(synergistic) effects, the differences between intended and
unintended side
effects, and the importance of margin of safety.
drugs,
biotransformation, physical and psychological dependence.
Assignments

16. Module 4 CNS Depressants and Sedative-Hypnotics, and the
Pharmacological
Effects and Behavioral Perspectives of Alcohol
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:
depressants group
and describe their history (Bromides, Barbiturates, and
Benzodiazepines).
-hypnotics and
discuss why
they are frequently misused and abused.
physical effects of
alcohol on the body.
tory of alcohol use within the United States
and the current
consumption patterns of alcohol in various groups (college,
ethnicities, ages,
and genders) within the U.S.
rules and
attitudes and then describe the social and economic costs of
alcohol use and
its abuse.

17. addiction, and
describe the different forms of alcoholic treatment available.
Assignments
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 4 and 5
Interact With “Pathways to the Brain” animation
View “Brain Imaging” (recommended)
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)
Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Submit Assignment 1 Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 6, 7, and 8
Interact With “How ALCOHOL Works in the Brain” animation

18. View “Prohibition” website (recommended)
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)
Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Complete Exam 2 Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
6
Module 5 Narcotics and Stimulants
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:
-synthetic, and
synthetic) of
narcotics and detail the pharmacological effects, including the
side effects,
tolerance and dependence, and their therapeutic uses.
they work, their
approved uses, possible side effects, and the causes of
amphetamine
misuse and abuse.

19. recreational use.
administration, the
hazards associated with each, and the treatment methods
associated with
opiate dependence.
-like drugs ,their common effects, and
the difference
between caffeinism and caffeine dependence.
Assignments
Module 6 Tobacco and Hallucinogens
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:
United States
and the social and economic issues associated with its use.

20. passive smoking.
relate to modern
use.
(psychedelics)
and distinguish between the types of hallucinogenic agents, how
they were
used, and the potential effects experienced.
Assignments
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 9 and 10
Interact With the following animations:

21. View “How Does Cocaine Alter Neurotransmission”?
“The Meth Epidemic” (recommended)
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)
Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Submit Assignment 2 Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 11 and 12
Interact With “In the Body” animation
View “FDA Cigarette Warning Labels” slideshow
(recommended)
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)
Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Complete Exam 3 Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT

22. 7
Module 7 Marijuana, Inhalants, and Over-the-Counter and
Prescription Drugs
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:
the
United States
and the social and economic issues associated with its use.
and behavioral
effects of marijuana on the body (nervous, respiratory,
cardiovascular, and
reproductive systems).
substances, anesthetics,
and volatile nitrates) of inhalants.
inhalants and
explain why adolescents have become involved in their abuse.
nonprescription drugs and
FDA regulations for safety.
prescription drugs and
nonprescription drugs.

23. Assignments
Module 8 Drug Use Within Major Subcultures and Treating
Drug Dependence
Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be
able to:
arious
categories of
people, including age and gender, and the physiological
responses that
various groups of people have to drugs and the factors hindering
treatment.
adolescents and
college students along with their consequences.
diseases such as
HIV/AIDS.

24. treatment of
addiction.
Assignments
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 13, 14, and 15
-called “Smart Drug” Plagues College Campuses”
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)
Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Submit Research Paper Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Action Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read Drugs and Society, Chapters 16 and 18

25. e Addiction: Understanding Replacement
Therapy”
(recommended)
(recommended)
Audio Visual Presentation (AVP)
Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59
PM EST/EDT
Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT
Submit Assignment 3 Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Complete Exam 4 Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT