J298 The Drugs Wars

Students in this course will learn to report on and think critically about licit and illicit drug production, consumption, regulation, controversies, access and more. We’ll cover how to read scientific studies on drug effectiveness, use and risks; interpret drug policy and its history; “follow the money”; and understand the rules and regulations guiding drug use, restrictions, enforcement and pricing. The class would focus on a series of case studies on drugs that have received national coverage in recent years, including Truvada, crack cocaine, meth, marijuana, Sovaldi, the MMR vaccine, and others.