SOC 2106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Opium Den, Absenteeism, Studio 54

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2106
• Professor: Sam Alvaro

Document Summary

Accidents: alcohol consumption is associated with fatal traffic, airplane, and occupational accidents. Crime: in most major cities over half the people arrested for all crimes test positive for some illegal drugs. Family problems: alcoholics are seven times more likely to become separated or divorced from their spouses, studied find that 29-71% of spouse abusers were drinkers at the time of the attack. Work problems: people who abuse alcohol have higher rates of absenteeism, are likely to between jobs, are more likely to be fired, and are more likely to be involved in workplace accidents. Health problems: most psychoactive drugs (e. g. lsd) that are taken in large quantities produce severe health effects and even death. Origins with mackenzie king deputy labour minister: anti-asiatic riots (1907), payment of compensation, finds that opium is easy to purchase. Opium dens are like lounges where you can lay down and smoke: drug use was not illegal, but it was considered to be immoral.