Chapter 4 Questions

• What is the evidence for the view that drug use is only a social problem if it is defined as a social problem by some group or groups? Examples?







• In a related sense, what makes any given drug a good or bad drug? How do social definitions influence issues of use v abuse, of legality v illegality?





• What is a drug and how general is drug use in our society?







• What is the difference between personal problems caused by drugs and social problems stemming from its use? What are some of the personal and social problems associated with tobacco and alcohol use?











• What is the source of the meaning of any given drug?





• During the temperance movement leading up to the passage of the Prohibition Amendment in 1919, alcohol became a symbol. Which groups and values were associated with alcohol use? With "temperance" in the use of alcohol?











• What are some personal and societal dysfunctions of drug use/abuse?











• What latent function of drug illegality is illustrated by the history of Harry Anslinger and the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937? What is a moral entrepreneur?

• How do drugs help keep the oppressed groups down?





• What purpose is served for powerful groups when the oppressed or those perceived as a threat are scapegoated?







• What is the medicalization of human problems?







• In what sense do disruptive classroom behavior and political dissent in the former Soviet Union both represent examples of the medicalization of deviance? Elaborate.

What are some dysfunctions of this medicalization as evidenced in this example?

• What are some sources of variation in the effects of any given drug?









• How much does the average adult drink? How concentrated is alcohol consumption?







• For youth, what's the relationship between gender and drinking? Why?





• What is the approximate yearly national cost of alcohol abuse?



• In studies of how alcohol abuse varies ethnically, what appear to be five key elements in learning to use alcohol sensibly?











• What is the evidence of a biological connection to alcoholism?

• Why do we know so little about the positive or negative health consequences of smoking marijuana?





• What is the amotivational syndrome and what is its relationship to marijuana smoking?









• What were the historic incidents/steps that transformed cocaine from a drug that served as a general remedy for many problems to a dangerous drug?













• What accounts for the violence that surrounds the use of crack cocaine?









• What accounts for the general reputation of a drug?







• What is the evidence about the addicting power of heroin?









• To what extent do narcotics drive people to crime, ruin their health, and threaten their jobs?

Why, then, are these problems associated with drug use?

• What are some negative consequences of our current "get tough" policy on controlling drugs and drug use?

• What should an effective drug education program include?









• What's the "double-edged sword" (double consequences) of drug education programs?

• What policies does your author recommend to address the problem of drug addiction?











• What are the key elements of the AA approach to addiction?

Questions on the video, The War on the War on Drugs.

• What are some of the costs of the War on Drugs?







• Why does Prohibition tend to cause mor problems than it solves? In what way is the current War on Drugs similar to the Prohibition of alcohol, in the 1920's?









• What are some indicators that the War on Drugs has failed?







• What is the difference between the socio-medical v the criminal definition of drug use?





• What is the Harm Reduction Movement? What are some of the specific steps to be followed in this approach? What are some of the consequences of the Harm Reduction Movement?

• How does the War on Drugs destroy police integrity?







• If the War on Drugs is so harmful, why do our politicians insist on pursuing this war so vigorously?