SOC 250 SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
SOC 250 – Alcohol and Substance Abuse in American Society
Course Number & Name: SOC 250 Alcohol and Substance Abuse in American Society
Credit Hours: 3.0 Contact Hours: 3.0 Lecture: 3.0 Lab: N/A Other: N/A
Prerequisites: Grade of “C” or better in SOC 101 or PSY 101
Co-requisites: None Concurrent Courses: None
Course Description: The course examines the causes and varieties of chemical dependency and abuse. Topics covered include the effects of alcohol, sedatives, narcotics, stimulants, hallucinogens, polyaddiction, and abuse; the psychological, social, genetic, and cultural factors involved in their use and abuse; the progression of addiction; and the resultant medical conditions. This course is approved as 42 educational hours towards the CADC credential. Also, this course, together with SOC 252, constitutes the educational requirements for the Chemical Dependency Associate in New Jersey and is also approved as educational hours toward the CJC credential.
Course Goals: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:
- define pharmacology and describe the physiological effects of various psychoactive drugs;
- identify methods of assessment and intervention with prenatal alcohol use and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders;
- identify methods of assessment and intervention with compulsive gambling;
- identify pharmacological methods of assessment and intervention with nicotine dependence;
- identify community resources for HIV;
- describe the history, effects, and consequences of opiate and stimulant use; and
- describe the history, effects, and consequences of alcohol, sedatives, and hallucinogens use.