Alcohol and drug use has long been a major public health challenge that affects millions of people, but specific patterns of alcohol and substance use, drug laws, and the popularity of specific substances shift constantly. The rise of synthetic opioids, the decline in alcohol consumption among Gen Z, and the legalization of adult-use cannabis are just a few examples of this complex, evolving topic. To help undergraduate students understand how these issues shape both individual lives and entire communities, the School of Public Health (SPH) offers Fundamentals of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (PUBH 3003)—a long-standing course that has been in the curriculum for several years.
Using the textbook Buzzed, students begin with the basics: how substances affect the brain, how drugs enter and leave the body, and why different routes of administering substances can matter. From there, individual classes explore addiction, recovery, harm reduction, alcohol, opioids, stimulants, cannabis, hallucinogens, tobacco, and inhalants. Instructor Julie Sanem said that in addition to lectures and the course textbook, she is always on the lookout for news articles or other timely information about the topic to share with students. “We talk about the latest things that we’re reading about in the news,” Sanem said. “Or the other day I shared with the class some new information I received from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation about how recovery means different things in different communities.”
Sanem, who earned both an MPH in Community Health Promotion and a PhD in Epidemiology at SPH, brings an extensive background in applied public health to the course—she worked at Boynton Health for almost 18 years focusing on use prevention, harm reduction, and drug and alcohol recovery, and now manages the Cannabis Research Center. “I really feel like I’ve been able to add a public health practice perspective to the course,” she said. For example, to develop appropriate intervention strategies for various communities, it helps to bring first-hand knowledge and understanding of how people in those communities may be using different substances, or how those products are being marketed to them.
“Interventions can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach,” Sanem noted. “From a public health practice approach, it’s really important to understand the differences within communities so we can design interventions that are tailored to those communities.”
Guest speakers also bring the unique challenges of substance into focus for students. A community member in long-term recovery from alcohol use has shared his recovery journey with the class for many years. Representatives from the Steve Rummler Hope Network, a Minnesota nonprofit focused on preventing opioid overdose, conduct a hands-on overdose response training, complete with naloxone kits—giving students practical skills they can use to save lives. And staff from the Minnesota Department of Health visit the classroom to outline population-level strategies the state uses to address alcohol, opioids, cannabis, and other substances.
Regardless of their major—the course attracts a mix of public health majors, public health minors, and other students—Sanem said her goal is to instill an understanding of the ability of public health to make a difference in people’s lives.
“My hope is that all students become more interested in public health through the class, even if they are not familiar with public health when they start.”
SPH faculty and others who have taught or contributed to the course in previous years include Jim Rothenberg, Dana Farley, Harry Lando, and Sarah Sevcik Tummala.
Photo credit for classroom picture of Julie Sanem: Sophia Desmidt.
