APPENDIX A – Chapter Reviews

University of Windsor students and recent graduates reviewed and provided feedback on the chapters in this eCampus Pressbook. The following are the brief overall feedback summaries provided for each chapter.

Chapter 1 Review

“Chapter 1 is a comprehensive and well-organized introduction into psychoactive substances that provides students with a sound foundation for the rest of the book” (Alyssa Woodbridge).

Chapter 2 Review

“The chapter requires the learner to be present, as we navigate between past, present, and futures entanglements of the changing definitions of drugs and the impact this has on the people who use them. One of the most interesting features of this chapter is how the author opens up new ways to think about something while enclosing action and potentialities for the learner to discover” (Bridget Nicholls).

Chapter 3 Review

“Overall, this chapter provides an in-depth description of certain social factors that may impact one’s health/wellbeing, possibly leading to substance use disorders (SUDs). While this chapter goes over important prevention methods, it also elaborates on groups which may be disproportionately targeted by these social harms. All in all, the importance of this chapter lies in its relevance to Canadian society and its recommendations to expand Canadian policy through ‘upstream’ methods” (Olivia Mirisola).

Chapter 4 Review

“This chapter provides an insightful and engaging look at the history of Canadian drug policies, and the societal changes that contributed to their formation. Throughout the chapter, students are able to hear from both voices that were directly affected by the formation of these policies, and experts on the history of Canadian drug policy. By the end of the chapter, students are given the opportunity to critically reflect on the impact-fulness of the material” (Chantelle Dagley).

Chapter 5 Review

“Chapter 4: Contemporary Canadian Drug Policies & Their Impact educates readers on the Canadian Drug Policy and the impact that drug prohibition and the war on drugs had on society. The chapter takes readers on a journey through the process it took to get to the Canadian Drug Policy we have today. Through engaging videos and easy-to-read articles, the readers are able to understand the negative effects resulting from drug prohibition, and allows them to better understand the effects of drug policies that are not usually talked or thought about in today’s society” (Yara El-Houssami).

Chapter 6 Review

“Chapter 5 is an informative chapter that allows students to broaden their perspective and knowledge of drugs and drug policy” (Alyssa Woodbridge).

Chapter 7 Review 

“All in all, this chapter lays the groundwork for prohibitionist drug policy and the effects it has on society in regard to substance use and substance use disorders. It discusses the current war on drugs and elaborately details how harshly penalizing drugs and drug usage only fuels this crisis, triggering negative outcomes” (Olivia Mirisola).

Chapter 8 Review 

“Critically engages students in discussions surrounding both decriminalization and legalization of substances. By comparing alternate models of decriminalization, students are able to address social and economic impacts of decriminalization” (Holly Deckert).

Chapter 9 Review

“An engaging chapter that enables students to reflect on the times when they themselves contributed to stigma and learn how to adapt a more inclusive and judgment-free mindset” (Alyssa Woodbridge).

Chapter 10 Review

“This chapter provides students with factual information that gives them the tools they need to distinguish fact from fiction regarding people who develop SUDs” (Alyssa Woodbridge).

Chapter 11 Review

“An engaging chapter that allows students to understand and critically reflect on the benefits of harm reduction strategies” (Chantelle Dagley).

Chapter 12 Review

“This chapter offers its readers not only an engaging examination of the legal pathways, but an insightful window into the challenges and tensions over acceptance and illegality. The author takes the reader on a journey through seeing cannabis and psychedelics challenged and encourages her readers to reconsider their understanding of these drugs, as well as the business, political, and medical practices surrounding them” (Bridget Nicholls).