For this assignment you will choose a specific drug and population and engage in some scholarly research. This is similar to how social scientists would conduct the initial stages of research by looking at the statistics to determine the extent of the problem and the existing scholarly literature to determine what is already known regarding said problem.
This assignment will require approximately 2-3 pages and should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman, and 12 point font. You should use APA format and provide both in-text citations and a reference page (guidelines for APA format provided in the course resource module). Make sure that the article summaries are in your own words, as plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment. This assignment is worth a maximum of 50 points.
To begin with you should:
1. Choose a specific drug from the following: alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, marijuana, prescription stimulants, prescription opioids, heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and/or cocaine
2. Choose a specific population to focus on: adolescents (12-17 years old); young adults (18-25 years old); or older adults (26+).
3. Using existing datasets look up the statistics of use for the specific drug and population. How many people in that population are using said substance? Have these rates increased, decreased, or stayed the same over the past several years? Remember that I provided you with the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2019 data under the course resource module.
4. Then conduct some scholarly research using www.scholar.google.com and/or by using the UNCP library search. You will need to select three scholarly articles (preferably sociological articles) and read them in entirety. These articles need to focus on your selected drug and population, if not points will be lost. Additionally, these articles should be published in the last 5-8 years.
After you have completed the initial research respond to the following in essay format:
A. Introduction Paragraph- This paragraph should introduce the problem. How many people in the selected population are using said drug (provide % and actual #)? Have rates increased, decreased, or remained the same? What are the consequences of this behavior for the given population? In other words, you should describe why this topic/problem is important. (10 points)
B. Article Summaries (3 paragraphs) – For each article, you should provide a detailed summary using your own words. This summary should address the purpose of the study, the methodologies used (including the sample size), the findings, and the implications. Additionally, you should explain how this work illuminates your chosen topic (i.e. how is it relevant to the issue that you have selected and how does it add to your knowledge about your issue). FYI copying and pasting the article abstract will count as plagiarism and will result in a zero on this assignment. (30 points, 10 points per summary)
C. Conclusion Paragraph- This paragraph should summarize your findings. Specifically, you should compare and contrasts the articles. What were their similarities and differences? You should then conclude this assignment with a description of what you learned regarding your chosen drug and population and why this information is important. (5 points)
The other 5 points will come from following directions, using appropriate spelling and grammar, using APA format, and submitting the assignment on canvas.
