CM2S046 - Contemporary Issues in Substance Misuse 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: CM2S046
Module Title: Contemporary Issues in Substance Misuse
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Policing and Criminology
Faculty Sub Group: Post Compulsory Education
Module Leader: Helen Martin, Marian Buhociu, Daniel Welch
Module Team:
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 5
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes:
HECOS Code Weighting:

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

The overall aim of this module is to introduce students to some of the issues involved in conceptualising and responding to the social problems that substance misuse creates. Specific aims of the module include:

1. To introduce students to issues surrounding types of substances, how these are produced and supplied to consumers.

2. To provide an understanding of reasons why people start, persist and stop using substances (including associated hams), as well as different types and patterns of substance misuse and how these are measured.

3. Identify and evaluate initiatives aimed at tackling the harms associated with substance misuse by the police, the courts, prisons, HM Revenue and Customs and statutory and voluntary treatment services.

Content Summary

The module is divided into two parts. The first part of the course examines types of substance misuse. This includes types of substances, types of substance misuse, patterns and trends, reasons for starting, escalating, continuing and desisting and the concept of ‘addiction’. The first part of the course also examines issues relating to the supply of drugs including retail markets, drug production and trafficking, as well as media representations of aspects related to substance misuse (e.g. users, addiction, trafficking, treatment).

The second part of the course focuses on the harms associated with substance misuse and responses to them. This includes government policy, policing, the role of the courts and the criminal justice system, and statutory and voluntary drug treatment services, and prevention strategies. This part aims to introduce the most recent developments in the field, including new research agenda and innovative treatment and drug policy initiatives (from the UK and elsewhere).

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 12
Practical classes and workshops 32
External visits 16
Independent Study 80
Directed Study 20
Problem / challenge based learning 40
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the causes, characteristics and consequences of substance misuse.
LO2 Demonstrate the ability to describe and evaluate society’s responses to (the problems associated with) substance misuse.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Report 1 A written report subject that draws on knowledge and material from the module or course 0 3500 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Report 1 ✔ ✔

Reading List

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Jon, . (1999) ‘D g f ’, British Journal of Criminology, 39(4), pp. 477–487.

Stevens, A. (2011a) Drugs, crime and public health: the political economy of drug policy. New York: Routledge.

Walters, G. D. (2014a) Drugs, crime, and their relationships: theory, research, practice, and policy. Sudbury, Massach

Simpson, Mark, Shildrick, Tracy and MacDonald, Robert (2007a) Drugs in Britain: supply, consumption, and control. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nutt, D. J. (2012) Drugs - without the hot air: minimising the harms of legal and illegal drugs. Cambridge, England: U Recommended books
Bean, P. (2014) Drugs and Crime. Abingdon: Routledge.
Bennett, T. and Holloway, K. (2007) Drug-Crime Connections, Cambridge University Press: New York. Bennett, T. and Holloway, K. (2005) Understanding Drugs, Alcohol and Crime. Open University Press.
Berridge, V. (1981/1999) Opium and the People: Opiate Use and Drug Control Policy in Nineteenth and Early Twentie
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Bean, P. and Nemitz, T. (2004) Drug Treatment: What Works?, Abingdon, Oxford: Routledge.

Coomber, R., McElrath, K., Measham, F., and Moore, K. (2013) Key Concepts in Drugs and Society. London: Sage.

Dargan, P. and Wood, D. (2013) Novel Psychoactive Substances: Classification: Pharmacology and Toxicology. Londo Ghodse,

A.H. (2010) Drugs and Addictive Behaviour: A Guide to Treatment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gossop, M. (2000) Living with Drugs. Fifth Edition. Aldershot: Ashgate.

Hanson, G.R., Venturelli, P.J., and Fleckenstein, A.E. (2012) Drugs and Society, Eleventh Edition. London: Jones and B Hucklesby,

A. and Wincup, E. (2010) Drug Interventions in Criminal Justice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Kleiman, M.A.R, Caulkins, J.P. and Hawken, A. (2011) Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know. New Yo

Kohn, M. (1992) Dope Girls. London: Granta Books.

Mistrall, W. (2013) Emerging Perspectives on Substance Misuse, Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Nutt, D. (2012) Drugs without the Hot Air: Minimising the Harms of Legal and Illegal Drugs. Cambridge: UIT.

Parker, H., Aldridge, J. and Measham, F. (1998) Illegal Leisure: The Normalization of Adolescent Recreational Drug U

Parker, H., Aldridge, J. and Eggington, R. (2001) UK Drugs Unlimited: New Research and Policy Lessons on Illicit Drug

Parker, H., Bakx, K. and Newcombe, R. (1998) Living with Heroin: the Impact of a ‘Drugs Epidemic’ on an English Com
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Pycroft, A. (2015) Key Concepts in Substance Misuse. London: Sage.

Seddon, T. (2010) A History of Drugs: Drugs and Freedom in the Liberal Age. London: Routledge.

Shiner, M. (2009) Drug Use and Social Change: The Distortion of History, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Simpson, M., Shildrick, T. and MacDonald, R. (2007) Drugs in Britain: Supply, Consumption and Control. Basingstoke:

Spear. H.B. (2002) Heroin Addiction Care and Control: The British System 1916-1984. (J. Mott (ed.)) London: DrugSco

Stevens, A. (2011) Drugs, Crime and Public Health. Abingdon: Routledge.

Stimson. G.V. and Oppenheimer, E. (1982) Heroin Addiction: Treatment and Control in Britain. London: Tavistock.

Walters, G. (2013) Drugs, Crime, and Their Relationships: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. Burlington, MA: Jone

West, R. (2006) Theory of Addiction, Oxford: Blackwell. Young, J. and Rex, J. (1971) The Drug-Takers. Paladin.

Zinberg. N. (1984) Drug, Set and Setting. Yale: Yale University Press. Drug policy documents:

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland (2006) New Strategy Direction for Alcohol
DHSSPSNI.

European Union (2012) The EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020. Accessed at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52012XG1229%2801%29&from=EN [12 April 2022].

European Union (2009) The EU Action Plan on Drugs 2017-2020. Accessed at http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/drugs- 2017-2020_en [12 April 2022].

Home Office (1985) Tackling Drug Misuse: A Summary of the Government’s Strategy. London: Home Office. Home Office (1990) UK Action on Drug Misuse: The Government’s Strategy. London: Home Office.

Home Office (1994) Tackling Drugs Together: A Consultation Document on a Strategy for England 1995-98. London: Home Office (1995) Tackling Drugs Together: A Strategy for England 1995-1998. London: HMSO.

Home Office (1998) Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain: The Government’s 10-Year Strategy for Tackling Drug M
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Home Office (1998) Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain: The Government’s 10-Year Strategy for Tackling Drug M
The Stationery Office.

Home Office (2002), Updated Drug Strategy 2002. London: Home Office. Accessed at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130323061340/https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderin pt1.pdf [13 April 2022].

Home Office (2004) Tackling Drugs Changing Lives. London: Home Office. Accessed at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100419085640tf_/http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drug-strategy/ [13

Home Office (2008) Drugs: Protecting Families and Communities. London: Home Office. Accessed at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100419081707/http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/d 20082835.pdf?view=Binary [13 April 2022].

Home Office (2009) The 2008 Drug Strategy: One Year On. London: Home Office. Accessed at
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Home Office (2010) 2010 Drug Strategy Consultation Paper. London: Home Office. Accessed at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/consultations/cons-drug-strategy-2010/drugs-consultation?view=Bina

Home Office (2010) Drug Strategy 2010 Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply, Building Recovery: Supporting People
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Home Office (2017) Drug Strategy 2017. London: Home Office. Accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publi April 2022].
Northern Ireland (various dates) New Strategic Directions in Alcohol and Drug Misuse
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Rolleston Committee (1926) Report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Morphine and Heroin Addiction. London

Scottish Government (2008) The Road to Recovery: A New Approach to Tackling Scotland’s Drug Problem. Accessed https://www.gov.scot/Publications/2008/05/22161610/0 [12 April 2022]

Welsh Assembly Government (2008) Working Together to Reduce Harm: The Substance Misuse Strategy for Wales 2
http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Good%20Practice/welshstrategy.pdf [13 Sep

Policy-related reports and bulletins

Bennett, T., Holloway, K and Maguire, M. (2013) Evaluation of the Implementation of the Substance Misuse Policy fo

https://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/evaluation-implementation-substance-misuse-strategy-wales/?lang=en [1

Best, D. (2010) A review of international evidence to support Scotland's National Drugs Strategy, The Road to Recov on effective treatment and recovery from substance misuse. Accessed at https://www.gov.scot/Publications/2010/

Livingstone, W., Perkins, A., McCarthy, T., Madoc-Jones, I., Wighton, S., Wilson, F., and Nicholas, D. (2018) Review of Harm. Accessed at

https://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/review-working-together-reduce-harm/?lang=en [12 April 2022].