Drugs & Society SOC 204 Drugs Across the Spectrum By Raymond Goldberg Chapter 2 Drugs in Contemporary Society Chapter 3 Motivations for Drug Use Chapter 4 Drugs & the Law

1. Chapter 2 Drugs in Contemporary Society
Chapter 3 Motivations for Drug Use
Chapter 4 Drugs & the Law

2. Chapter 2 Drugs in Contemporary Society

3. How does drug use cost
society?
 Your thoughts:

4. Consequences for Society
 Deaths
 Emergency room visits
 Drugs in the workplace and lost productivity
 Broken homes, illnesses, shorter lives, etc.
 Cost of maintaining habit
 Cost of criminal behavior
 Cost of treating patients
 Fetal alcohol syndrome
 Blood borne illnesses

5. Getting Information on Drug
Use
 Surveys
 Hospital reports
 Police reports
 Can show trends over
time
 What’s missing?

6. Extent of Drug Use
 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
 Door-to-door survey of randomly selected
households
 Measures drug use in adults and adolescents
 Monitoring the Future
 Questionnaires given to 8th, 10th and 12th grade
students

7. Have you used marijuana in
the last 30 days?
ANONYMOUS
A. Yes
B. No
Yes
No
71%
29%

9. Have you had 5 or more drinks in one sitting
in the last 30 days? ANONYMOUS
A. Yes
B. No
Yes
No
50%50%

11. Have you used non-prescribed
narcotics in the last 30 days?
ANONYMOUS
A. Yes
B. No
Yes
No
79%
21%

13. Drug Abuse Warning
Network
 DAWN is a reporting system
that collects information on the
number of times drugs are
implicated in both non-lethal
and lethal visits to emergency
rooms
 Illicit drugs were responsible
for the most emergency room
visits, followed by
pharmaceutical drugs
 Data reflect acute drug
problems, not chronic drug
use

14. DAWN gives information
on:
A. The number of people
jailed for drug offenses
B. The number of times
drugs are implicated in
emergency room visits
C. The number of people
who admit drug use to
their doctors Thenum
berofpeople
jail..
Thenum
beroftim
esdru..
Thenum
berofpeople
w
..
0%
7%
93%

15. Changing Attitudes
 What made the
government change
from the laissez-faire
attitude of the 1800s to
one of control?
 Toxicity
 Dependence
 Crime

16. Society’s perception of drugs:
 Influenced by social and psychological
factors
 Illegal drugs are condemned more than
legal drugs

17. What do you think about government
regulation of drug use?
A. The government
should be more
involved
B. The government
should be less
involved
C. Our government is
doing a good job
currently
Thegovernm
entshould
..
Thegovernm
entshould
b...
Ourgovernm
entisdoing..
36%
29%
36%

18. Toxicity
 Physical toxicity:
 Danger to the body as a result of taking the
drug
 Behavioral toxicity:
 Drug interferes with one’s ability to function
 Acute toxicity:
 Danger from a single experience with a drug
 Chronic toxicity:
 Danger posed by repeated exposure to the
drug

19. Driving while drunk is an
example of:
A. Acute physical
toxicity
B. Chronic physical
toxicity
C. Acute behavioral
toxicity
D. Chronic
behavioral toxicity Acutephysicaltoxicity
Chronicphysicaltoxicity
Acutebehavioraltoxicity
Chronicbehavioraltoxicity
29%
0%
64%
7%

20. Cirrhosis of the liver is an
example of:
A. Acute physical
toxicity
B. Chronic physical
toxicity
C. Acute behavioral
toxicity
D. Chronic behavioral
toxicity
Acutephysicaltoxicity
Chronicphysicaltoxicity
Acutebehavioraltoxicity
Chronicbehavioraltoxicity
7%
0%0%
93%

21. Patterns of Use
 Experimental Use
 Infrequent use motivated by curiosity
 Social-Recreational Use
 Taking drugs to share pleasurable experiences
among friends
 Circumstantial-Situational Use
 Short-term use to contend with immediate distress
or pressure

22. Patterns of Use
 Intensified Use
 Taking drugs on a steady basis to relieve a
problem
 Chronic Use
 Indicates some extent of physical or
psychological dependence
 Compulsive Use
 Acquiring and consuming drugs is the main
focus of life

23. Changing View on
Dependence
 Early medical model
 True addiction involves physical dependence; key
is treatment of withdrawal symptoms
 Positive reinforcement model
 Drugs can reinforce behavior without physical
dependence
 Psychological dependence is
increasingly viewed as the driving force
behind repeated drug use
 This refutes the sometimes common belief that
drugs that aren’t as strongly physically
addicting are less dangerous

24. What do you think? Is
addiction
A. Biological
B. Genetic
C. Environmental
D. Psychological
E. Personality
Weakness
F. A combination of
above Biological
Genetic
Environm
ental
Psychological
PersonalityW
eakness
A
com
bination
ofabove
0% 0%
93%
0%
7%
0%

25. Substance Use Disorder DSM-
5
 Substance use disorders span a
wide variety of problems arising
from substance use, and cover 11
different criteria:
1. Taking the substance in larger amounts
or for longer than you meant to
2. Wanting to cut down or stop using the
substance but not managing to
3. Spending a lot of time getting, using, or
recovering from use of the substance

26. 4. Cravings and urges to use the substance
(psychological dependence)
5. Not managing to do what you should at
work, home or school, because of
substance use
6. Continuing to use, even when it causes
problems in relationships
7. Giving up important social, occupational
or recreational activities because of
substance use

27. 8. Using substances again and again,
even when it puts you in danger
9. Continuing to use, even when the you
know you have a physical or
psychological problem that could have
been caused or made worse by the
substance
10. Needing more of the substance to get
the effect you want (tolerance)
11. Development of withdrawal symptoms,
which can be relieved by taking more of
the substance. (physical dependence)

28. Impacts of Drug Use
Family stability
Social behavior
Education and career
aspirations
Personal and social
maturation

29. REMEMBER:

30. A correlate is:
A. A variable that
causes something
B. A thing you keep
horses in
C. A variable that is
associated with
something
A
variablethatcausess...
A
thingyou
keep
horsesin
A
variablethatisassocia...
0% 0%0%

31. Family
 Association between drug use and the
likelihood that a couple will separate or divorce
 Women subjected to violence have higher
rates of alcohol dependence and other drug
abuse problems
 Family interventions into adolescent alcohol
use reduce the initiation and frequency of
alcohol use
 Marijuana use by young Black males is
significantly reduced when both parents are
present

32. Family
 Parental substance abuse is a factor for
1/3 to 2/3 of all children involved with the
child welfare system
 Substance abuse is a factor in many cases
of child abuse and domestic abuse
 Alcohol use is associated with the
perpetration of sexual aggression,
especially toward boys **

33. Effects of drug use by pregnant
women
 Women whose babies
test positive for drugs
such as cocaine are
subject to losing custody
of their children
 Risks to the baby:
 Low birth weight
 Premature birth
 Miscarriage
 Birth defects
 Difficulty bonding
 Learning disabilities

34. Which of the following is NOT
associated with drug use in the family?
A. Increased
violence
B. Higher divorce
rates
C. Low IQ
D. They are all
associated
Increased
violence
Higherdivorcerates
Low
IQ
Theyare
allassociated
0% 0%0%0%

35. Social Behavior
 Drug users display more independence,
rebelliousness, acceptance of deviant
behavior, and rejection of moral and social
norms than nonusers
 Children of parents who use
drugs are more likely to
engage in delinquent behaviors
 Stimulants such as methamphetamines
and cocaine are associated with violence,
while marijuana and heroin are more likely
to produce a passive response

36. Social Behavior
 Alcohol is the drug involved with the most
violent incidents
 The level of aggression associated with
alcohol is dose related
 Binge drinking is associated with unsafe
sex and violence, and with nonconsensual
sex

37. Drug users show higher levels of
acceptance of deviant behavior
A. True
B. False
True
False
0%0%

38. Alcohol is associated
with
0%
0%
0%
0%
0% A. Higher level of violent incidents
B. Dating violence
C. Unsafe sex
D. Nonconsensual sex
E. All of the above

39. Education
 There is a higher dropout rate from school for those
who used alcohol, illicit drugs, and cigarettes
 There is a relationship between academic
performance and drug use
 Drug use is assumed to be a predictor
of welfare dependency
 Higher Education Act of 1965: College students who
are convicted of a drug offense are denied federal
financial aid

40. Do you feel that the regulations about
financial aid and drug convictions are
fair?
0%
21%
43%
36% A. Yes
B. No
C. Sometimes
D. I’m undecided

41. Employment
 Employed drug users have less stable job
histories than nonusers
 Alcohol abusers earn significantly less money
than moderate drinkers and abstainers
 Drug use is associated with higher accident rates
on the job and lower productivity

42. Drugs in the
Workplace
 Substance abuse in the workplace results in:
 Lessened productivity
 Increased accidents, absenteeism, and health care costs
 Highest rates of drug use are food service workers
and construction workers – identifying drug
problems in top-level managers is more difficult
 Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) help
workers deal with problems that affect job
performance, including alcohol or drug problems

43. Drug Testing
 In 2011, the federal government
earmarked $283.1 million for
drug-related activities in schools
 Random workplace drug testing has effectively
identified frequent users of illicit drugs
 In many jurisdictions, physicians are required
to report women who use drugs during
pregnancy or infants who test positive for drug
use by their mothers

44. Types of Drug
Testing
 Immunoassay is fast and less
expensive than other methods but may give false
positive readings
 Gas chromatography is more expensive and time-
consuming than other methods
 Thin-layer chromatography is simple and
inexpensive, but requires expert interpretation
 Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is
highly sensitive, but is time-consuming and
expensive http://www.aa
fp.org/afp/201
0/0301/p635.
html

45. Problems with Drug
Testing
 False positive
 A person tests positive for a drug even
though no drug is present in the person’s
urine
 False negative
 A person tests negative
even though drugs are
present in the person’s
urine

47. Legality of Drug Testing
 Debated in two
cases before the
U.S. Supreme
Court:
 Skinner v. Railway
Labor Executive
Association
 National Treasury
Employees Union v.
von Raab
 In both cases, the
Supreme Court
ruled that the testing
program was
justified http://www.nolo.com/legal-
encyclopedia/free-books/employee-
rights-book/chapter5-3.html

48. How is drug use related to
crime?
 Intoxication causes behavior and personality
change
 Crimes may be committed while intoxicated
 Drug use/possession is a crime
 Crimes to fund cost of drug use
 Society tries to protect itself through regulation
 Current laws may not be part of a logical plan,
ineffective or unrealistic

49. Crime: Drug Business
 Drug trade is a big business with no signs
of slowing down
 Tactics for stopping drug flow into the US –
military force, reducing aid to drug-
producing countries, and promoting crop
substitution – are ineffective
 Results in thousands needing medical care
for drug overdoses, and has an economic
impact on the criminal justice system and
environment

51. Crime: Drug
Business
 Colombia is the leading
producer of cocaine
 In Laos, Burma, and Thailand,
opium production has largely been
replaced by methamphetamines
 In addition to domestic production,
marijuana is grown in Asia, the
Caribbean, and Mexico – Colombia
is the largest exporter

52. US National Drug Control
Budget

53. Crime: Drug Enforcement
• The narcotics trade is
tremendously profitable
• Even after billions of dollars
were spent on curbing drug
production, coca growth in
Colombia rose 27%
• Preventing drugs from
entering the United States or
reducing the amount of drugs
grown in the country is a
matter of demand, not supply

54. How should we deal with drug
problems?
17%
17%
17%
17%
17%
17% A. Legalize drugs
B. Stop drugs at borders
C. Reduce demand (treatment/education)
D. Prevent production in other countries
E. End the “War on Drugs”
F. I’m not sure

55. How should we deal with drug problems?

56. Goldberg Chapter 3
Motivations for Drug Use

57. What do you think the most
common reason for drug use
is?
14%
21%
29%
7%
29% A. Curiosity
B. Boredom
C. Escape
D. Social
E. Rebellion

58. Motivations
 We all do things we know we shouldn’t do.
Why?
 Characteristics of drugs can reinforce their use
 Altered states of consciousness
 Societal, community, and family factors play
an important role in whether an individual tries
a drug
 Drug factors play an important role in whether
an individual continues to use a drug

59. Reasons for Drug Use
 Experimentation:
 Especially among young people, curiosity is a
natural phenomenon that easily leads to
experimentation
 Pleasure/Escape from Boredom:
 An individual who is bored will engage in
something pleasurable to relieve the boredom
 Drugs used to increase pleasure or reduce
boredom provide positive reinforcement
 Drugs taken to alleviate discomfort provide
negative reinforcement

60. Reasons for Drug Use
 Peer Influence:
 Many young people use drugs to gain peer
acceptance or approval
 Basic values, life goals, and aspirations still are
influenced more by parents
 Spiritual Purposes:
 People have used drugs to communicate with
something or someone greater than themselves
 Psychoactive plants have roles in many
religious and spiritual practices

61. Reasons for Drug Use
 Self-Discovery:
 Drugs sometimes are used to fill a void in one’s life
 Social Interaction:
 Drugs are used to facilitate interactions with others
 Certain social groups determine how a drug is used
 Rebelliousness:
 Young people rebel against the conventions of
society, including warnings about drugs

63. Risk Factors
 Community, parental, and
peer attitudes and
behaviors
 Antisocial/problem
behaviors
 Poor school performance
 Perception that use is
prevalent

64. Protective Factors
 Involvement in religious activities
 Commitment to school, involvement
in extracurricular activities
 Perceived risk of
drug use
 Parents as social
support

65. Perceived Risk/Availability

66. Spiral of Psychological
Addiction

67. Psychological Addiction

68. Theories of Addiction
 U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services: Addiction is a “chronic, life-
threatening condition that has roots in
genetic susceptibility, social
circumstance and personal behavior”
 No single theory adequately covers
every aspect of drug addiction –
elements of various theories provide
insight into drug addiction

69. Personality Theory
 Delayed behavioral or emotional development
may be a factor in substance abuse
 Personality characteristics associated with drug
abuse:
 Low self-esteem
 Poor interpersonal skills
 Need for immediate gratification
 Defiant feelings toward authority
 Little tolerance for anxiety, frustration, and depression
 Impulsivity
 Risk taking
 Low regard for personal health

70. Personality traits associated
with drug use do not include:
A. Impulsivity
B. Lack of
intelligence
C. Need for
immediate
gratification
D. Defiance
Im
pulsivity
Lack
ofintelligence
Need
forim
m
ediate
grati...
Defiance
0% 0%0%0%
Response

71. Reinforcement Theory
 Reinforcers are stimuli or events that increase
the likelihood of a particular behavior
 Primary reinforcers reduce physiological needs
or are inherently pleasurable; examples are
food, water, and sex
 Secondary reinforcers act as signals for the
increased probability of obtaining primary
reinforcers; example: money
 Drugs can be primary or secondary reinforcers

72. Reinforcers are:
A. Things that
reward us
B. Things that are
correlated with
drug use
C. Things that make
a behavior more
likely Thingsthatreward
us
Thingsthatare
correlate...
Thingsthatm
ake
a
beha...
0% 0%0%
Response

73. Biological Theories
 Biological theory is a view of addiction
holding that it is based on genetics and
metabolic imbalances
 Genetic theory: a person is predisposed
to drug addiction, including addiction to
alcohol, by hereditary influence
 Metabolic imbalance: Narcotics help
addicts stabilize the metabolic deficiency
caused by absence of the drug

74. Biological theories consider
these factors:
A. The biology of the
individual
B. Genetics
C. Metabolic
imbalances
D. All of the above
Thebiology
ofthe
indivi...
Genetics
M
etabolicim
balancesAlloftheabove
0% 0%0%0%
Response

76. Social Theories
 Social theory is the hypothesis that drug use
is determined by cultural and social influences
 Rewards of drug use may be derived from
groups and others with whom we associate
 Drug abuse may arise from antisocial behavior
 Social theory does not explain drug addiction

77. Social theories:
A. Attribute drug use
to cultural and
social influences
B. Explain the
phenomenon of
addiction
C. Discount the
importance of
family influence
Attribute
druguseto
cu...
Explain
the
phenom
enon
..
Discountthe
im
portance
..
0% 0%0%
Response

78. Media Influence
 The impact of the media on drug use is hard to
determine
 Many forms of
mass media feature
drugs:
 Movies
 Advertisements
 Billboards
 Television
 Music
 Celebrities

79. Small Groups
 1. Discuss what factors are most important in one’s
decision to use or not use alcohol, tobacco, and/or
illegal drugs.
 2. Peers are cited frequently as an important
influence on whether one uses drugs. At what age is
the influence of peers most significant? Are males or
females more affected by peer influence?
 3. The depiction of alcohol use and smoking is
prominent in movies, music videos, and television
shows. Do you feel that alcohol use and smoking
rates are affected by how alcohol and smoking are
shown in videos? If yes, would you try to ban all
alcohol and tobacco use in the media?

80. Goldberg Chapter 4 Drugs & the Law

81. Drugs & The Law
 Attempts have been made to
regulate the use of mind-
altering substances since
settlers first arrived in the
New World
 The first substance regulated
was alcohol
 The temperance movement
in the late 1700s advocated
that people become more
educated about the hazards
of alcohol Click picture for
video

82. Early Regulation
 Alcohol
 1791: Congress passed an excise
tax on whiskey
 Opium
 1833: US treaty regulated international opium trade
 1842: Tax on crude opium shipped to the US
 1875: San Francisco prohibiting smoking in opium
dens
 1890: Only US citizens could manufacture or import
opium
 Proprietary drugs (over-the-counter drugs)
 Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906

83. Small Group Questions:
 Do drug laws affect whether people use
drugs?
 Should drug laws be aimed at drug users,
sellers, or traffickers?
 Should the role of government be to inform its
citizens about drugs or to prevent its citizens
from using drugs?
 Should a person be prevented from engaging
in self-destructive behavior?

84. Pure Food & Drug Act 1906
 Before 1906, patent medicines were
largely unregulated
 US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) was created to assess drug
hazards and prohibit sale of dangerous
drugs
 Law required drug manufacturers to
report adverse reactions to their products
 Law required that the amount or
proportion of drugs in the medicine had
to be listed on the label

85. The Pure Food & Drug Act was
created to:
A. Stop people from
using opium
B. Establish taxes on
drugs
C. Force people to get
prescriptions for
drugs
D. Keep dangerous
drugs off the
market
Stop
peoplefrom
using...
Establish
taxeson
drugs
Force
peopleto
getpresc...
Keep
dangerousdrugsoff...
0% 0%0%0%

86. Harrison Act 1914
 The Harrison Act resulted from the need
to limit opiate use
 Law governed the marketing and sale of
narcotics, regulated nonmedical narcotic
use, and made possession of narcotics
without a prescription illegal
 Doctors and pharmacists had to keep
records of the prescriptions they wrote
 To obtain drugs, an increasing number
of people resorted to criminal activity

87. The Harrison Act:
A. Established taxes
on drugs
B. Made opium illegal
without a
prescription
C. Established jail
time for drug
offenses Established
taxeson
drugs
M
ade
opium
illegalw
ith...
Established
jailtim
e
for...
7%
0%
93%

88. Prohibition 1919-1933
 Began with the
Temperance
Movement
 19th Amendment
passed in 1919
 Speak-easies
 Bootlegging
 Increase in
organized crime
 Repealed in 1933 by
the 21st Amendment

89. Marijuana Tax Act 1937
 Forbade the recreational use of marijuana,
but not medicinal or industrial uses
 Anyone using marijuana was required to
pay a tax – failure to comply meant a large
fine or prison term for tax evasion
 AMA and others opposed marijuana
legislation
 The Federal Bureau of Narcotics,
established in 1932, later became the
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

90. The marijuana tax act made all use of
marijuana illegal.
A. True
B. False
True
False
85%
15%

91. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
1938
 Under 1906 guidelines, a drug manufacturer
could not be prosecuted for fatalities due to
toxic drugs
 1938 Act required pharmaceutical companies
to file applications with the federal government
demonstrating that all new drugs were safe
and properly labeled
 Manufacturers had to submit a “new drug
application” to the FDA, giving the FDA more
authority and responsibility

92. Limitations of the 1938
Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act Did not cover drugs that were previously marketed
 Drugs had to be proven safe, but not effective
 Government had little authority to enact penalties
 Manufacturers determined whether a drug would be
sold as a prescription or over-the-counter
 Manufacturers conducted their own tests to
determine a drug’s effectiveness

93. The Food, Drug, & Cosmetic
Act
A. Established taxes
on new drugs
B. Ensured that drugs
were proven
effective
C. Ensured that drugs
were proven safe
D. Enacted stiff
penalties for false
advertising
Established
taxeson
new
...
Ensured
thatdrugsw
ere...
Ensured
thatdrugsw
ere...
Enacted
stiffpenaltiesfor...
0% 0%0%0%

94. I think the legalization of marijuana was
a good idea.
A. Absolutely.
B. No, I disagree, it
was a bad idea.
C. I’m not sure or
have no opinion.
Absolutely.
No,Idisagree,itw
asab..
I’m
notsure
orhaveno
...
0% 0%0%

95. Kefauver-Harris
Amendments
 Serious birth defects caused by
thalidomide resulted in
implementation of stronger
regulations regarding drug testing
 Kefauver-Harris Amendments,
1962, gave the FDA the authority to
withdraw drugs from the
marketplace
 Drug advertisements directed to
physicians were required to include
the drug’s side effects and its
contraindicated uses
 Testing procedures required prior
approval from the FDA

96. Kefauver-Harris
Amendments
 1972 Drug Efficacy Study: The FDA asked the
National Research Council to conduct a study
of new drugs
 Active ingredients were placed in one of three
categories:
 Category I drugs: Determined to be safe, effective,
and properly labeled
 Category II drugs: Not generally recognized as safe
and effective, or recognized as mislabeled; must be
removed from medications within six months
 Category III drugs: Data insufficient to determine
general recognition of safety and effectiveness

97. Considering the Kefauver-Harris
Amendments, all of the following are true
EXCEPT:
A. The FDA had the
authority to remove
unsafe drugs from
the market
B. Taxes on drug
advertisements were
enacted
C. Advertisements
must include side-
effects
D. Tests were required
prior to a drug’s
approval
TheFDA
had
theauthorit...
Taxeson
drugadvertise...
Advertisem
entsm
ustinc...
Testsw
ererequired
prior..
0% 0%0%0%

98. Comprehensive Drug Abuse
Prevention and Control Act of
1970
 Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control
Act (Controlled Substances Act), effectively replaced
all previous laws dealing with narcotics and
dangerous drugs
 Expanded community health centers and Public
Health Service hospitals for drug abusers
 Established a commission on marijuana and drug
abuse
 Divided drugs into five categories called schedules

99. The Comprehensive Drug Abuse
Prevention and Control Act replaced all
previous legislation regarding
dangerous drugs
A. True
B. False
True
False
0%0%

100. Schedule Criteria Examples
I a. High potential for abuse
b. No accepted medical use
c. Lack of accepted safety
Heroin,
marijuana, MDMA
(Ecstasy)
II a. High potential for abuse
b. Currently accepted medical use
c. Abuse may lead to severe dependence
Morphine,
cocaine,
methamphetamine
III a. Potential for abuse less than I and II
b. Currently accepted medical use
c. Abuse may lead to moderate physical dependence or high
psychological dependence
Anabolic steroids,
most barbiturates,
Dronabinol (THC in pill
form)
IV a. Low potential for abuse relative to III
b. Currently accepted medical use
c. Abuse may lead to limited physical or psychological
dependence relative to III
Xanax, barbital,
chloral hydrate,
fenfluramine
V a. Low potential for abuse relative to IV
b. Currently accepted medical use
c. Abuse may lead to limited physical or psychological
dependence relative to IV
Mixture with small
amounts of codeine or
opium

102. Anti–Drug Abuse Act of
1988
 Legislation that emphasizes stringent
punishment of the drug user, to reduce drug
demand
 Punishment could be waived if the user
completes a drug rehabilitation program
 Greatly increased federal prison population
and led to a new Cabinet position, Director
of National Drug Control Policy
 Under this law, drug users are punished more
stringently than rapists or robbers

103. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act
A. Emphasized strict
punishment for drug
infractions
B. Allowed offenders to
complete treatment
rather than jail
C. Created lighter
sentences for drug
offenses
D. A & B
E. All of the above
Em
phasized
strictpunis...
Allow
ed
offendersto
co...
Created
lightersentences...
A
&
B
Alloftheabove
0% 0% 0%0%0%

104. Small Group Questions:
1. Should the sale of drug paraphernalia be illegal?
2. Should people using small amounts of illegal
drugs for personal enjoyment receive harsh
criminal penalties?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of
decriminalizing or legalizing drugs?
4. What impact has drug enforcement had on drug
use?
5. Should the vast amount of money spent on
stopping drugs be used differently?

105. Drug Paraphernalia
 Drug paraphernalia:
 Items that are aids to using drugs (cigarette-
rolling papers, water pipes, razors, clay
pipes, roach clips, spoons, mirrors, and
other products)
 Prosecuting individuals for possessing
drug paraphernalia is viewed as a
deterrent for drug use

106. The War on Drugs
 In 1988, Congress proclaimed that the
US would be drug-free by 1995
 The monetary expense and human
resources employed to combat illicit
drug use are enormous – yet, the
number of Americans who have used
illegal drugs has increased
 The government’s assault on illicit
drugs has resulted in social tension, ill
health, violent crime, compromised
civil liberties, and international conflict

107. The War on Drugs has been
largely successful
A. True
B. False
True
False
0%0% Response
http://ezproxy.wwcc.edu
:2048/login?url=http://di
gital.films.com/PortalPla
ylists.aspx?aid=7539&xt
id=50127

108. Are you for or against legalization of
drugs? (all currently illicit drugs)
A. For legalization
B. Against legalization
C. For legalization,
but only for some
drugs
Forlegalization
Againstlegalization
Forlegalization,butonly...
0% 0%0%

109. Arguments Against
Legalization
 Some argue that
decriminalization would
increase drug use, addiction,
and drug-related deaths
 Drug-related crimes might fall,
but the number of addicts would
rise
 Legalization would result in
more dysfunctional addicts who
would be unable to support their
lifestyles and drug use through
legitimate means

110. Arguments For
Legalization
 Legal regulation of drugs
would protect drug takers
and save money
 Billions of dollars spent on
drug enforcement might
be put to use more
effectively if the money
were directed toward
education and treatment
programs

112. Drug Enforcement
 Drug enforcement is
designed to stem the flow of
drugs coming into the US
and to punish the user
 To stop drugs at their source,
the State Department works
with a number of foreign
governments
 DEA agents help block drugs
from leaving other countries,
eradicate crops, and find and
dismantle illegal laboratories

113. Problems with
Enforcement
 Farmers make more money from coca
or opium crops than from legal crops
 On a global scale, less than 10% of
illegal crops are consistently eradicated
 Interdiction is especially difficult because
of numerous points of entry

114. Prevention
 Harm reduction
 Interventions that respond to
needs of drug users and the
community to reduce harm
caused by illicit drug use
 Includes providing sterile syringes to reduce
spread of HIV infection, education, and
increased treatment
 Treats drug abuse as a public health
problem, not a criminal problem

115. Prevention
 Normalization
 Term used by the Dutch for the
practice of not prosecuting users of
soft drugs such as marijuana
 Using some drugs is not illegal, but
drug traffic is illegal
 Treatment assists physical and
social well-being of addicts rather
than try to stop their addiction
 Result: Netherlands has less drug
use than the US and other
European countries

116. Racism and Drug
Enforcement
 Questionable search warrants in
inner-city communities
 People of color are stopped and
searched more often than others
on the basis of “drug courier”
profiles
 Despite comparable drug usage, Blacks are incarcerated
at a higher rate than Whites
 Penalties for crack cocaine, used more by poor, are
greater than those for powder cocaine, used more by
middle class

117. Mandatory Minimum
Sentencing
 Starting in 1984, Congress enacted
mandatory minimum penalties
specifically focusing on drugs and
violent crimes
 It has been shown that mandatory
minimum drug sentences have not acted as deterrents to
further crime
 Mandatory minimum drug sentences give no latitude to
judges to determine appropriate punishments
 Treatment is 15 times more effective for reducing serious
crime than mandatory minimum sentencing