Bell Ringer Open your student workbook to page 2. Read the directions under the heading Exploring My Thinking About Drugs, complete the statements to create a word picture of what you think and believe about drugs right now in your life.

Unit 5: Tobacco, Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention Lesson 1: Teens and Drug Use

Healthy Behavior Outcomes Avoid experimentation with alcohol and other drugs. Avoid the use of illegal drugs.

Lesson Objectives By the end of this lesson, you should be able to: Identify different categories of drugs. Summarize the harmful short- and long-term physical and psychological effects of using drugs. Summarize why individuals choose to use or not use drugs. Analyze the role of individual responsibility in choosing to be drug free.

Drug Definition A drug is a chemical substance, natural or human made, that changes normal body functions in some way. Drugs are used to: Cure or treat disease Reduce symptoms of illness Alter a person’s mental or physical state Using a drug to feel the effects rather than for medical or health purposes is called recreational drug use.

Summary Some drugs that are legal for adults are illegal for children and teens. This is because of the seriousness of their potential negative consequences. Drugs that are used recreationally have the potential to cause damage to the body or the brain, which is why most have been made illegal.

Risk Factors for Drug Use Environment Access to drugs Community and neighborhood crime Poverty Where people live Social Relationships Role models who use drugs Acceptance of drug use by family and friends Perceived norms

Risk Factors for Drug Use (cont.) Individual Traits Gender (male) Doing poorly in school Negative behavior patterns –fighting, stealing, carrying weapons Acceptance of drug use Mental health problems

What are some reasons you think people might choose not to use drugs?

Summary Don’t want to risk the negative consequences Have other ways and skills to deal with problems Don’t like how drugs make them feel Support from peers to stay drug free Want to please parents or prove they’re responsible Other interests Don’t need drugs to feel good or perform well

Protective Factors Against Drug Use Environment Learning about drugs in school Drug prevention messages in the media Lack of access to drugs Social Relationships Adult disapproval of drug use Peer disapproval of drug use Feeling connected Doing activities

Protective Factors Against Drug Use Individual Traits View of risk Positive belief and attitudes Strong commitment to school

Summary The more risk factors a person has, the greater his or her chance of using drugs; and the more protective factors a person has, the greater his or her chances of avoiding drug use. But risk and protective factors alone do not determine whether or not a person chooses to use drugs.

Who do you think is ultimately responsible for a person’s drug use and why?

Share one thing you have learned today that was new information for you, or describe which negative effect would most influence your decision to avoid using a particular drug.