This is a survey of sociological, psychological, and medical approaches to treating and preventing addiction, with a focus on misinformation about marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, and OTC pain relievers. We will cover the impact of advertising campaigns on young people and senior citizens; discuss the puzzling outcomes observed when using stimulant and depressant drugs; and examine IV needle-sharing as a driver of epidemics. This includes the sociological perspective on the Prohibition era (1920–1933), the hysteria surrounding "Reefer Madness" (1936), and the opioid crisis of the 21st century. We will also consider the "war on drugs" as a war on drug users, and ask whether Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous offer a genuine solution to addiction. Throughout, we will emphasize the need for an adequately funded, interdisciplinary, and international approach to the treatment and prevention of addiction.

Although they are not essential for purposes of this class, a few sources are recommended.

• Sam Kelly, Human History on Drugs (New York: Penguin Books, 2025).
• Edmund Brecher, Licit and Illicit Drugs (New York: Little, Brown, 1972).
• Michael D. Lyman, Drugs in Society (New York: Routledge, 2017).
• Margaret Haney, "Big Weed and the Hidden Dangers of Marijuana Use," PBS, Feb. 16, 2026, available online.
• Patrick Radden Keefe, Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Family (New York: Penguin/Random House, 2021).