PS268 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Psychoactive Drug, Sewage Treatment, Gateway Drug Theory
LESSON NOTES
The Drug Problem:
-recreational use of psychoactive drugs associated w 2 basic outcomes: desirable outcomes
and problems
Principles:
1) drugs are neither good nor bad
2) every drug has multiple effects
3) both the size of the drug effect and the type of drug effect depend on the amount the
individual took and the way it was taken
4) the effect of any psychoactive drug depends on the individual's history/expectations/the
environment that the drug was taken in (esp true when it comes to hallucinogens)
-safe injection facilities are cheaper for society and healthier for intravenous drug users
-SIFs do not appear to increase the likelihood that people will use intravenous drugs
-bc drug metabolites are eliminated in urine and urine ends up in sewage treatment
facilities, you can infer how much of a certain drug a city's residents are using by
measuring drug metabolites in the sewage
-drugs tend to stick to paper, can also infer how much of a certain drug is in a given region
by measuring drug reside on bills
Document Summary
Recreational use of psychoactive drugs associated w 2 basic outcomes: desirable outcomes and problems. Safe injection facilities are cheaper for society and healthier for intravenous drug users. Sifs do not appear to increase the likelihood that people will use intravenous drugs. Bc drug metabolites are eliminated in urine and urine ends up in sewage treatment facilities, you can infer how much of a certain drug a city"s residents are using by measuring drug metabolites in the sewage. Drugs tend to stick to paper, can also infer how much of a certain drug is in a given region by measuring drug reside on bills. In canada about 95% of bills have detectable but very tiny amounts of cocaine on them. Dr mckay psychoactive drug use and perceptions survey: Have made lots of new friends since starting uni. Not too concerned about whether or not they"re successful in school or career. Have posivite attitude about use of psychoactive drugs in general.
