International & Global (IG)

HLTH 1050 - Life, Society, and Drugs

Course Description

This class provides a comprehensive understanding of illicit and harmful substances. In this class, we discussed the class of drugs, which makes them, how they're moved, popular substances in other countries, and the physiological, psychological, social, and legal implications of substance use.

Reflection

This was this semester's most exciting class! While many of us know of various drugs, most are

not aware of how complex, unfair, and ugly drugs genuinely are. This class dove into the details of each drug, such as its history, effects, related diseases, global issues, legal issues, and social issues. Each day of class, I learned unbelievable, for lack of a better word.

Why Do I Appreciate This Class? 

Firstly, I want to emphasize the importance of this class to my academic and future professional career. As a future social worker and therapist, drugs will inevitably appear in my professional life. I took this class to gain cultural competence to become an adequate social worker for the people I will be working with. Although I had a general understanding of most drugs and their associated adverse effects, my knowledge was limited compared to what it is now. 

My future specialty as a professional will be developmental disorders and some abnormal psychology. These population will be especially vulnerable to drug use and related concerns. Many of the people I work with may have developed their disorder as a result of prenatal exposure or frequent exposure to drugs after birth. This population deserves an adequate therapist, and this class is my attempt at that. 

What Did This Class Teach Me? 

I learned to look at drugs differently. It's easy to be judgemental about a topic we know frighteningly little about, but it's also easy to be overly optimistic. I felt a little of both emotions. We learned about drug cartels and how violence is a means of control. We learned that where a person gets their drugs may have significant health implications depending on if producers include fentanyl (a dangerously addictive and lethal substance) without buyers' knowledge. We learned about how the tobacco and alcohol industries have fought tooth and nail to maintain profits and how they did it. 

This class touched on the reality of drug exposure, who is more likely to engage in drug use, and why. Individuals who are of a lower socioeconomic status are at greater risk of developing an addiction. People may take drugs without an adequate understanding of their harmful effects. In the past, doctors frequently prescribed oxycontin until its highly addictive nature exposed the fact that it was not what it had been advertised as. As a result, doctors suddenly stopped providing the medication to patients. Individuals who developed a dependency turned to heroin, and thus, our opioid crisis worsened. I learned that the tobacco industry purposely advertises to youth in other countries and adapted e-cigarettes to target youth in this country. 

I learned about how substances such as meth, opioids, tobacco, and alcohol develop into an addiction. Drug dependence is not only a means to feel euphoric but sometimes a means to feel normal after prolonged use. Drug dependence was often portrayed as a lack of resolve in my youth, but nobody talked about how it completely rewires the body and mind to need a drug. 

We learned about completely legal substances that caused more deaths than illegal drugs. Is it common knowledge that alcohol withdrawals are fatal? Did everybody else know that tobacco is one of the leading causes of death in the world? It's amazing how much I was unaware of, and it makes me a little nervous.

Conclusion

I talk highly of this class, partially due to it helping me through Social Work 1010. I had a semester-long project regarding the dynamics of drugs. The group I joined was well-versed in the area, one working in a drug rehabilitation center. This class helped me to keep up with my peers, allowing me to contribute fairly. I applied the knowledge gained in this class to most of my social work class modules, which helped me participate in class discussions. 

Despite the gravity of our topics and the reality checks I received, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Learning more about the dynamics of drugs helped me grow closer to the kind of social worker I want to be. I now have a more realistic understanding of the dynamics of drugs.