PBH 476 - Public Health Impact of the War on Drugs

(3 units) CO10, CO13

The year 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s declaration of the War on Drugs. This class will explore the political, cultural, medical, and social context under which the War on Drugs was conceived, how it has been implemented, and how it has evolved over time. We will focus on the population-level public health impacts of the War on Drugs, with special attention to social determinants of health including age, sex, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.

Maximum units a student may earn: 3

Prerequisite(s): General Education courses (CO1-CO3) completed; at least 3 courses from CO4-CO8 completed; Junior or Senior standing.

Grading Basis: Graded
Units of Lecture: 3
Offered: Every Spring

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. examine drug use as a public health issue by synthesizing information on cultural, social, structural, and policy-level determinants of drug use and drug-related harm.
2. examine the impact of the War on Drugs from a public health perspective, by identifying success and failures of this policy approach and its implications for social justice and racial equity.
3. communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms.
4. analyze the cultural representation of people who use drugs and/or drug-related topics (e.g., news media, popular culture, health campaigns) to identify dominant themes, rhetorical approaches, and implicit and explicit health-related messages.
5. justify recommendations for improving public health outcomes related to drug use, based on an analysis of a national, state, or local drug policy.

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