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Touro College Psychology Department
Course Title: Drugs and Behavior Topics Course Number: GPS 320 RS Name of Instructor: Raymond T. Cottrell Email: rcottrell@sir-ray.com Website: www.sir-ray.com/Touro.htm Telephone: 917.626.6746
Course Text: Drugs, Society and Human Behavior - 12th Edition Authors: Carl L. Hart, Charles Ksir, and Oakley Ray Publisher: McGraw Hill Publishing ISBN-10 Number: 0073529613 ISBN-13 Number: 978-0073529615
Obtaining the textbook: If you go online to Amazon, you will find this book by typing in either the title, or one of the ISBN numbers. The cost of the book varies, but you can get a decent book for about $10.00. While there are later (and earlier) editions, the class notes and information will be based on the 12th edition.
Course Description: This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the issues of drug use and abuse. It will explore the historical perspective of drug use; the classification and pharmacology of drugs; the characteristics of the drug user; the connection between drugs and crime; and a systematic exploration of commonly abused drugs and their effect on the person, family and society. Finally, there will be an exploration of preventative methods as well as an overview of treatment modalities.
Course/Departmental Objectives: · Acquire knowledge of the effects of drug use and abuse on the physiology of the user · Acquire knowledge of the effects of the use of drugs in relationship to family, society and its relationship to aggression and crime · Acquire knowledge concerning the prevention of drug use · Acquire knowledge of the treatment of drug abuse · Distinguish between personal experience and scholarly literature · Acquire the academic foundation for gaining insight into his or her life · Further develop critical reasoning, reading, writing and listening skills · Learn to access relevant literature from computer databases and other sources
Course Requirements: 1) Attendance is taken as per Touro College guidelines. It is expected that students will attend class and arrive on time. It is also expected that students will be courteous with their cell phone usage during class time. 2) All students are required to attend a “12 Step Program” meeting and to write a reaction paper based on that experience. You may also choose to visit a rehab center or attend one of the workshops offered by the College. **Please note you may only attend OPEN meetings as these are open to the general public. You can find a listing of meetings at one of the following websites: http://www.simeetings.com/ (AA meetings and NarAnon meetings listed here) http://www.simeetings.com/alanon.html 3) A research paper on any topic related to drugs and behavior. Topics could include specific drugs; effects of drugs; research topics on drugs and uses; etc. 4) Debate preparation and participation 5) Exams: a. Midterm b. Final
Grading Guidelines: 20% Reaction Paper 20% Research Paper 20% Debate preparation/participation 20% Midterm 20% Final Examination
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