This module examines the complex nature of drugs, drug policy and drug law enforcement in the UK and abroad.  Strict drug prohibition has dominated drug policy since the 1970s; shaping not only responses to drug use, but how the public perceives drugs and how drug markets have adapted and expanded. New Psychoactive Substances and drug cryptomarkets have emerged as the latest phenomena in a long history of society’s relationship with drugs. This module will provide students with a foundation for understanding contemporary issues about substance use and drug policy. 

The module is composed by four main blocks. One block of lectures examines some of the key features of illicit drugs. It pays special attention to the definition of drugs, drug users and traffickers. It will also delve into how new online technologies are changing traditional drug markets. 

A second block will look at how drugs are controlled worldwide. It will explore the ways in which countries legislate and police drug use and trafficking. This will serve as a toolkit to understand the different responses to illicit drugs and challenge students to think about their pre-conceived notions about drug laws and their enforcement. It will engage students in discussions such as why do we have drug laws? What are the pros and cons of prohibition? What if we treat cannabis, cocaine and heroin like alcohol or tobacco?  

A third block will then explore dominant theoretical explanations for why people use drugs and, in doing so, critically examines the concept of ‘addiction’. Within this, there is an examination of the relationships between drugs and (sub)culture.  

A fourth block of lectures considers some specific drug-related issues that are highly topical within Criminology. ‘Drugs and social structures’ looks at academic research that has explored drug use in relation to gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity and social class (with regard to housing instability) to unpack how these structures intersect with the nature and experiences of drug use. The final two lectures take a look at drug-related violence and drugs in the sporting world respectively.  

This module will not tell students what to do with drugs. It will not tell them whether to support legalisation or a stricter enforcement of drug laws. It will, instead, help students to find their own informed conclusions by critically examining what is currently known about illicit drugs and drug control. 

1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a range of theoretical, strategic and policy issues associated with drug use and its control (LO1) 

1. Think analytically about drug-related issues (LO2)  

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the relationships between illicit drugs, (sub)cultures, crime and drug enforcement (LO3) 

1. Critically evaluate pros and cons of different drug policies and enforcements (LO4) 

This module will be delivered through a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous activities, as part of this programme’s blended provision, which will include on-campus and online teaching and support.

The precise mode of delivery and details – subject to Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance – of the teaching and support activities will be made available at the start of the semester via Learning Central.

Academic Skills 

• Finding, reading, summarising, and synthesising information from multiple sources [LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4] 

• Thinking critically about research evidence, policy and policing approaches [LO1, LO2, LO4] 

• Ongoing development of academic research and writing skills [LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4] 

Module Specific Skills 

• An understanding of wide-ranging issues related to drug use, drug laws and drug enforcement (LO1, LO2) 

• An understanding of the pros and cons of different drug policy and policing approaches (LO1, LO4) 

• An understanding of the complex relationship between drugs, (sub)culture, crime and law enforcement (LO1, LO3, LO4) 

Employability/Transferable Skills. 

• Critical thinking skills [LO1, LO2, LO4] 

• Constructing clear and informed oral and written arguments [LO1, LO2, LO4] 

• Participate and communicate effectively in small group settings [LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4] 

• Using empirical evidence to better understand and respond to social problems [LO1, LO3, LO4] 

Essay (2000 words) 70% Students will have a choice of topics that will correspond to the lecture content and one or more of the LOs.  

N/A 

Unseen examination paper 30% Unseen exam covering topics from the whole module. The exam will consist of multiple exam choice question  

45 minutes 

Introduction: key features of illicit drug markets 

This block of lectures will discuss some of the key features of illicit drug markets. It will define drugs from a chemical and sociological perspective and introduce to students some of the key terms in the module (e.g. addiction, drug problem, dependency). It will also examine the demand and supply of illicit drugs and how these have changed over the years. It will then look at the complex link between drugs and crime and how the internet is changing the scale of international trafficking. 

Drugs, drug laws and drug law enforcement  

This block of lectures will present different drug policy and drug law enforcement approaches at national and international level. It will discuss why we have drug laws, what they are trying to achieve as well as pros and cons of these different approaches. It will encourage students to find their own response to the drug problem by discussing what we currently know about drug control.  

Theories and (sub)cultures 

This block of lectures will introduce some of the theories that have dominated Western society’s understandings of why people begin to use drugs, what ‘addiction’ means, and why many people stop taking drugs while some develop chronic drug-related problems.  Theories which are covered sit within multiple disciplines including medicine, psychology, sociology and criminology. We will also take a deeper look at subcultural theories and their subsequent developments as these have been particularly influential in criminological explanations of drug use. In examining these theories, students will be encouraged to consider and discuss the implications of different theories for how we understand drug-related crime and how society should address drug use and drug-related issues. 

Drug-related issues 

This final block of lectures will examine some of the more specific areas that drugs researchers have been concerned with. It begins by exploring how characteristics such as gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity and social class have been framed in relation to drug use, drawing out the nuances of, for example, women’s drug use. This is followed by an examination of drug-related violence and within this we will touch upon topics such as drugs in prisons and gangs. Finally, this block ends by looking at a rather different area which is the role that drugs play in sport. This will consider the use of performance- and image-enhancing drugs in elite and in amateur sports.