New Perspectives in Science Education

Few topics illustrate the tension between science and society as clearly as psychoactive drugs. From cannabis to psychedelics, media hype, social media, commercial interests, and political agendas fuel misinformation that reaches adolescents long before they can evaluate it [1]. Teenagers are exposed to sweeping claims that a drug is safe, curative, or uniformly harmful, but seldom have the means to assess the evidence behind them [2]. Here, I present a psychopharmacology course for high school students, designed as a general-interest class that can benefit anyone regardless of future field. It begins with principles common to all drugs, such as dose, route of administration, and side effects, then introduces brain chemistry and the central nervous system before surveying the major categories of psychoactive drugs and their effects on brain and behavior. Students read original articles from journals such as The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) [3] and The Lancet [4], learning to examine methods, weigh evidence, and distinguish solid findings from overstated conclusions. The goal is not to tell students what to think, but to help them make informed opinions and develop a clear understanding of the risks associated with many of these substances [5]. By training students to question sources and claims, the course shows how science education can prepare young people to engage responsibly with pressing social and cultural issues. I will present the course structure, examples of articles and activities, and observations on student engagement.

Keywords: science education, psychoactive drugs, brain and behavior

References: 

[1] Gansner, M., Horton, A.K., Singh, R. & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2024). Exploring relationships between social media use, online exposure to drug-related content, and youth substance use in real time: a pilot ecological momentary assessment study in a clinical sample of adolescents and young adults. Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 3.1369810-16.

[2] Ma, I., Sultan, M., Kozyreva, A.& van den Bus, W. (2026). Understanding the impact of misinformation on adolescents. Nat Hum Behav 10, 18–28.

[3] Chan O, Daudi A, Ji D, et al. (2024) Cannabis Use During Adolescence and Young Adulthood and Academic Achievement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatr.;178, 1280–1289.

[4] Jani C, Edwards K, Sharma R et al. (2026) Alcohol-attributable cancer mortality in the United States, 1990–2023: a secondary analysis of Global Burden of Disease data The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 2026; Published online

[5] Debnam KJ, Saha S, Bradshaw CP. Synthetic and Other Drug Use among High School Students: The Role of Perceived Prevalence, Access, and Harms. (2018) Subst Use Misuse. 15, 2069-2076.