NSC 206 - Rethinking Drugs & Drug Abuse

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR (students beginning prior to Fall 2024): Meets general academic requirement SC.
Meets Explore Core requirement (students beginning Fall 2024 and later): NP
A foundational study of pharmacology including neuroscientific, chemical, and historical points of reference. We will discuss the pharmacological principles of drug action, including the absorption, distribution, elimination, and dose-behavior relationships of key drug families as well as the putative mechanisms by which these drugs act on targets in biological tissues. Will also examine the biological basis of drug addiction and the ways in which the scientific characterization of pleasure-reinforcing drugs has been shaped by neuroscience data. Key course readings and discussions will frame the myriad beliefs that underpin narratives and stigmas surrounding drug use and science-based drug policy. We will consider the representation of drugs in both science and society and the resulting consequences for drug regulation, research, and education.