Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the required chapters from the text and review the required articles for this week. Humans have engaged in psychoactive drug use, sometimes in formal (ceremonial) settings and sometimes recreationally, since before recorded history. It has only been in the last century or so that abuse and addiction have become large-scale problems. Using the literature and your own insights into these issues, formulate an argument as to why the problem has reached its current scale. In your discussion, evaluate the employment of psychoactive drugs from the aspects of a risk-benefits analysis and ethical considerations such as the risk of addiction versus the cost of punitive action. Also explain purely pharmacological issues such as pharmacokinetics and routes of drug administration and dose. If needed, include factors such as supply, cultural attitudes to drug use, and the context of drug use.
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Read the needed chapters from the text and review the required articles for this week before beginning work on this discussion. Since before recorded history, humans have used psychoactive drugs, sometimes in formal (ceremonial) settings and sometimes recreationally. Abuse and addiction have only recently become large-scale issues in the last century or so. Formulate an explanation for why the problem has grown to its current size, based on the literature and your own insights into these concerns. Examine the use of psychoactive medications from the standpoint of a risk-benefits analysis and ethical issues such as the risk of addiction vs the expense of punitive action in your debate. Also, discuss strictly pharmacological concerns like pharmacokinetics and medication routes.
