This course surveys the medical and pharmacological aspects of alcohol and psychoactive substances, includes theories and research pertaining to chemical dependency, pharmacological actions of drugs and drug classifications, medical and physical effects of alcohol and similar legal psychoactive drugs on the body. Additionally, the course will focus on damage to the brain, liver and other organs, tolerance, cross tolerance, and synergistic effects, physiological differences between males and females, the disease model, including signs and symptoms, neurobiological research and communicable diseases.

Prerequisite: None