SPOL41130 Drugs & Drug Policy

Academic Year 2023/2024

Drug and alcohol use and its impact is a significant social issue, both within Ireland and internationally. This module explores current and emerging drug and alcohol policy, including drug policy approaches, as well as strategies and interventions to reduce substance use, risk and harm. Substance use is considered and explored from the perspectives of prevalence, health, impacts and harms, with a particular focus on understanding policy responses, intervention and treatment responses and community impacts. The complex interplay of drug and alcohol use with issues such as socio economic factors, domestic violence, gender and community violence are considered and explored. The planning, development and delivery of substance use responses at agency and community level are considered, together with emerging debates and issues in regard to drug and alcohol use, supply and impact on families and communities.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students will be able to:
• Critically reflect on drug policy in Ireland and internationally, as well as the relationship between policy and social and community responses to drug and alcohol use.
• Understand the complexity of effective drug policy, including epidemiology and drug markets, evidence base for policy and health system interventions and the impact and role of community in relation to substance use.
• Have the ability to understand and assess interventions for drug and alcohol use for individuals and families, and within community settings, including minimization of harm and risk minimization approaches.
• Demonstrate knowledge of emerging debates in regard to policy and practice in drug and alcohol work.
• Explore and understand interventions for challenging issues in drug and alcohol work, including those impacting on families and communities.

Indicative Module Content:

Topics on this module will include theory on drug policy and intervention; Irish and international drug policy development; interventions and responses to problematic substance use; alcohol policy; domestic violence; drug related crime; gender and substance use; trauma and substance use; and debates on legalisation.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Autonomous Student Learning

78
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module structure will compose of lectures and prescribed reading, with assessments designed for students to follow issues and topics of interest.
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
SPOL30360 - Drug Use, Society and Policy


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Critical analysis assignment on selected drug issues. Week 5 n/a Graded Yes

40
Essay: Essay on key aspect of drug policy. Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

60

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 11:00 - 11:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn