Substance Misuse, Dependence, and the Body
For a long time, illegal substances like heroin and cocaine have been framed as the most harmful substances on society. But as you have been learning throughout this course, there are many harmful legal substances as well! There is also a new category of drugs called Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) that is posing a great public health threat. Using the information in Chapter 3, along with the required resources, please compose a 300-word post that responds to the following questions in ESSAY format:
What are novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and why are they so dangerous?
What is fentanyl and why is the scope of the problem so deadly in the US?
What is the “opioid crisis”? (Why is it called a “crisis”?)
Based on all the information you learned about the effects of these various drugs on the body, which illegal or legal substance/drug (or category of drugs) has the most negative impact on the body, mind and society today, in your view? Why?
As you have learned this week, human brains are hard-wired to become addicted to pleasurable things. Read the attached National Geographic article on the science of “getting hooked”:
