Letter to the Readers

Dear Readers,

This book was written by upper-class undergraduate students at Clemson University in the HLTH 4000 Impacts of Substance Use course. The goals of this project were to meet the course learning objectives of understanding what the drug classifications are (CNS depressants, CNS stimulants, hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics, narcotic analgesics, inhalants, and cannabis), applying analytical thinking to real-world issues about substance use, critically evaluating the role of public health agencies and healthcare providers in addressing the needs of individuals who use substances, and recognize the impacts of history and public policy on substance use. The student authors strived to develop a product for the general public to use as a resource for these life challenges.

We are making this book free and accessible for everyone to promote awareness of substance use. All chapters were researched using only reliable sources and cited in APA format. Each student selected their topic and found resources that could help anyone impacted by substance use.

All the students are first-time authors with little to no experience publishing a piece of work. Throughout this class, students learned about the details of the publication process, how to find images available for a published part of work, and how to design and edit a textbook.

The HTLH 4000 students found this nontraditional class method fulfilling and a stimulating alternative to traditional lecture-based formats. Please enjoy their work and take their suggestions to advocate for individuals impacted by substance use.

Thank you and happy reading,

Leah Holcomb and Becky Tugman