Module Specification
An online version of this specification is available to prospective students at
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/currentstudents/studentinformation/msc_module_handbook/section3_moduledescript/in
dex.html
GENERAL INFORMATION
Module name
Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco
Module code
1457
Module Organiser
Dr Mary Alison Durand
Contact email
Mary-Alison.Durand@lshtm.ac.uk
Home Faculty
Faculty of Public Health and Policy
Level
This module is at Level 7 (postgraduate Masters ‘M’ level) of the QAA
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales & Northern
Ireland (FHEQ).
Credit
LSHTM award 15 credits on successful completion of this module.
Accreditation
Not currently accredited by any other body.
Keywords
International / global, Research (in general), Epidemiology (incl. surveillance),
Health Policy (incl. advocacy), Disease prevention & control, Noncommunicable diseases (in general), Mental health problems, Behavioural
aspects (in general), Smoking, Drugs, Vulnerable groups (in general),
Communicable diseases (in general), HIV/AIDS
AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND AUDIENCE
Overall aim
To develop understanding of the importance of drug use to public health, and
to gain an appreciation of current tobacco, alcohol and other drug research,
policy and intervention issues, specifically from an evidence-based public
health perspective.
Intended learning
outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
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Describe and compare the burden of harms from different drugs and
patterns of use;
Identify public health objectives in relation to drug use and differentiate
these from other influences on public policy formation;
Assess a wide range of interventions in terms of their contributions to
reducing drug-related harm, from individually targeted approaches to
international regulatory measures;
Evaluate the evidential content of current policy debates on drug use;
Analyse issues involved in researching drug, alcohol and tobacco use in
public health and critique the resulting evidence.
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Target audience
This module is aimed at students on the MSc Public Health. This will also be
useful for other students in PHP and elsewhere who already have or wish to
develop an interest in this topic. N.B. This is not a clinical module.
CONTENT
Session content
There are 8 lectures, 5 seminars, 3 facilitated groupwork sessions, plus
additional groupwork sessions as required and a team presentation.
Usual lecture titles are as follows: Introduction to drugs, alcohol & tobacco;
Why some substances are legal and others are not; Alcohol epidemiology and
policy issues; Injecting drug use epidemiology and policy issues; Tobacco
epidemiology and policy issues; Preventing drug use and harms; The social
contexts of drug use; Drugs, alcohol and tobacco policy approaches compared.
The seminars are related to the lectures which broadly address tobacco,
alcohol and injecting drug use together.
Groupwork addresses tobacco, alcohol or injecting drug use in depth with
students able to select from a choice of one topic in each area, as numbers
allow. The form of typical learning outcomes for the groupwork are as follows:
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To collate and summarise existing background epidemiological data;
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To identify available policy measures;
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To evaluate the evidence base on their effectiveness;
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To collate and summarise existing data in the topic area;
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To identify needs for further research; and
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To develop skills in team working, and presentation, which maximise
the participation of all.
Groupwork leads to a formatively assessed presentation. Recent topics, for
indicative purposes only, have been: Proposal on plain packaging for all
tobacco products in the UK; Brief interventions to identify and reduce alcohol
problems; TB and HIV co-infection among people who inject drugs in Russia;
What is the best model of integrated care? Students may complete the module
assessment in relation to lecture or groupwork material or both.
TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
Study resources
provided or required
Students are provided with a reader containing session learning outcomes,
essential readings and groupwork learning resources. Additional readings and
powerpoint slides are made available electronically.
Teaching and learning
methods
Lectures, seminars, group work, presentations, debates and individual study.
Assessment details
Students will write a 2,000 word essay on a public health approach to a policy
debate or on a research issue (100% of grade). N.B. This is the only summative
assessment. Groupwork is formatively assessed only and thus does not
contribute directly towards the final grade.
For students who are required to re-sit, or granted a deferral or new attempt,
the task will be a written essay, as above.
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Assessment dates
The assessment will be due on 10 February 2016.
For students who are required to re-sit, or granted a deferral or new attempt,
the next assessment deadline will be the standard School-recommended date in
mid/late September 2016.
Language of study and
assessment
English (please see ‘English language requirements’ below regarding the
standard required for entry).
TIMING AND MODE OF STUDY
Duration
The module runs for 5 weeks at 2.5 days per week; this module runs between
Monday morning and Wednesday lunchtime.
Dates
For 2015-16, the module will start on Monday 11 January 2016 and finish on
Wednesday 10 February 2016.
Timetable slot
The module runs in LSHTM timetable slot C1.
Mode of Study
The module is taught face-to-face in London. Both full-time and part-time
students follow the same schedule. For full-time students, other LSHTM
modules are available in the other half of the week for the C and D slots.
Learning time
The notional learning time for the module totals 150 hours, consisting of:
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Contact time ≈ 27 hours
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Directed self-study ≈ 45 hours
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Self-directed learning ≈ 12 hours
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Assessment, review and revision ≈ 66 hours
APPLICATION, ADMISSION AND FEES
Pre-requisites
There is no requirement to have taken specific Term 1 modules.
English language
requirements
A strong command of the English language is necessary to benefit from
studying the module. Applicants whose first language is not English or whose
prior university studies have not been conducted wholly in English must fulfil
LSHTM’s English language requirements, with an acceptable score in an
approved test taken in the two years prior to entry. Applicants may be asked to
take a test even if the standard conditions have been met.
Student numbers
Student numbers between 10-20 are anticipated per year; numbers may be
capped due to limitations in facilities or staffing.
Student selection
Preference will be given to LSHTM MSc students and LSHTM research degree
students. Other applicants meeting the entry criteria will usually be offered a
place in the order applications are received, until any cap on numbers is
reached. Applicants may be placed on a waiting list and given priority the next
time the module is run.
Partial Registration (partial participation) by LSHTM research degree students
is allowed for this module.
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Fees
For registered LSHTM MSc students, fees for the module are included within
MSc fees (given on individual course prospectus pages).
If registering specifically for this module, as a stand-alone short course,
individual module fees will apply.
Tuition fees must be paid in full before commencing the module, or by any fee
deadline set by the Registry.
Scholarships
Scholarships are not available for individual modules. Some potential sources
of funding are detailed on the LSHTM website.
Admission deadlines
For 2015-16:

For registered LSHTM MSc students, the module choice deadline (for Term
2 and 3 modules) is Friday 20 November 2015.

If registering specifically for this module, applications may be made at any
time but, as places are limited, early application is recommended. All
applications should be submitted by, at the latest, 8 weeks prior to the start
of the module. Formal registration will take place on the morning of the
first day of the module.
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
This module specification applies for the academic year 2015-16
Last revised 14 August 2015 by Mary Alison Durand
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St., London WC1E 7HT.
www.lshtm.ac.uk
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