Assignment Task:
Building on the information you have learned about stigma, or about the history of drug use, write a critical response in the discussion to the assigned questions as a guide to take into consideration several aspects of our perspectives about the culture and history of addiction.
Topic: What's New is Old
Discuss the statement "What is new is sometimes really old" in reference to the changing culture of addiction and use of drugs over the last 50 years. Explain what you think the above statement means. (Before responding, here are a few things to consider: What does the term culture of addictions mean? What does the history or use/laws tell us about old and new perspectives of drug use, etc? How have drugs/drug use/abuse changed over time? How are they the same -- think about culture? Why have ideas about drug use hanged? What would make them change again? Use examples to explain your response.