The Illinois Open Publishing Network is excited to announce the upcoming release of Drug Use and Misuse: A Community Health Perspective. Co-authors Christy Bazan, Brandi Barnes, Ryan Santens, and Emily Verone developed this open access textbook, slated for publication in March, 2022, to be used in conjunction with a popular undergraduate survey-level course Drug Use and Abuse at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Community Health. The authors’ connection to the Department of Community Health shines through in their focus on topics such as the social determinants and community effects of substance misuse.
Drug Use and Misuse consists of eight chapters that cover the background and basics of drug use and misuse as well as exploring prevention and treatment methods. The book starts with an overview of the topic, including many useful definitions, and then moves onto an explanation of how drugs work in the body and brain and how understanding this can help individuals make informed decisions about their own drug use. Chapter three introduces discussion of the social determinants of drug use and misuse, including factors such as mental health and socioeconomic status. Chapters four through seven provide more detail on various types of drugs, including gateway drugs, hallucinogens, opioids, and over-the-counter drugs. The book concludes with a discussion of evidence-based prevention and treatment models for substance misuse.
I am excited about the release of the open educational resource Drug Use and Misuse: A Community Health Perspective. My colleagues and I worked together with the students’ interest in mind, providing them the content and knowledge that they need at no cost. This collaborative project with the library and the College of Applied Health Sciences highlights how we can all work together to achieve something great! —Christy Bazan, co-author
Christy Bazan (MPH, MCHES, LEHP) and Emily Verone (MSN, MS, CEN, RN), are both adjunct faculty members at the College of Applied Health Sciences Department of Kinesiology & Community Health. Brandi Barnes (MS, PhD) is an affiliated faculty member also at the Department of Community Health. Ryan Santens (MPH, MSW) is an instructor and PhD candidate in Community Health at the Department of Community Health.
Drug Use and Misuse was created as a result of a grant awarded through a University of Illinois Library strategic funding initiative. This grant sponsored the creation of an open access textbook with a “sprint” writing period of one week. The library has also announced an expanded grant program for University of Illinois instructors who will adopt, modify, or create open educational resources for their courses. More details can be found on the Faculty OER Incentive Program webpage. Drug Use and Misuse is part of the Windsor & Downs Press OPN Textbook series, which also includes Instruction in Libraries and Information Centers: An Introduction by Laura Saunders and Melissa A. Wong and A Person-Centered Guide to Demystifying Technology by Martin Wolske.