DARTON COLLEGE
DIVISION OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
COMPREHENSIVE COURSE GUIDE
Course Number:
HLTH 1166
Course Title:
Drugs and Drug Abuse
Credit Hours:
2 Semester Hours
Contact Hours:
2
Lecture Hours:
0
Lab Hours: 2
PREREQUISITES:
None
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces the student to basic information about drug us and abuse which
includes alcohol, depressants, narcotics, tobacco, stimulants, psychedelics, marijuana,
over-the-counter drugs, and prescription drugs.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
 Identify and describe the various classifications of drugs.
 Define key drug terms.
 Describe the major methods for taking drugs
 Explain how dose, age, body weight, gender, time, disease, and emotional state
affect drug actions.
 Identify how drugs get to and then affect the human brain.
 Explain the history of alcohol use.
 Compare the major classes of alcoholic beverages concerning typical servings and
alcohol content.
 Describe how alcohol affects the human body/mind.
 Identify the various sedative-hypnotic drugs and explain their effect on the human
body/mind.
 Explain the history of opiate use.
 Identify the various classes of narcotics and explain thief effect on the human
body/mind.
 Describe the physical damage that tobacco smoke can have on the human body.
 Explain the main methods of tobacco use and the dangers associated with each.
 Identify the various stimulant drugs and explain their effect on the human
body/mind.
 Explain the history of both psychedelics and marijuana use.
 Identify the various psychedelic drugs and explain their effect on the human
body/mind.
 Describe the various forms of marijuana use and explain the effects of each on the
human body/mind.
 Identify various over-the-counter drugs and explain their effects of the human
body/mind.
 Identify various prescription drugs and explain their effects on the human
body/mind.
 Explain why athletes seem to be psychologically vulnerable to the use and abuse
of psychoactive drugs.
 Explain why drug and alcohol abuse is so often seen as a family affair.
 Explain how the family can function in the primary prevention of drug abuse.
 Describe the basic elements of a comprehensive school policy against the use of
alcohol and other drugs.
 Explain the several functions of a student assistance program.
COURSE CONTENT:
1. Drugs, drinks, and medications
2. The allure of drugs
3. Pharmacology
4. Alcohol
5. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism
6. Narcotics
7. Sedative-hypnotics and inhalants
8. Tobacco
9. Cocaine and other “chemical uppers”
10. Psychedelics and phencyclidine
11. Marijuana
12. Over-the-counter drugs
13. Prescription drugs
14. Alcohol and other drugs in special populations
15. Drug-abuse prevention
16. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention education