7th Grade 1.Please get your folders and a sheet of paper and take your seat. 2.DO NOW: Why do you think that some people experiment with drugs and alcohol? Why do you think that some people go from experimentation with drugs and alcohol to a more serious drug dependence?

Reasons People experiment with drugs: Isolated Lonely Sad Depressed Problems Lack of support from family or friends Curious Bored Role models To fit in Pressured

The Addiction Cycle The addiction cycle is a scientific theory about how experimentation with drugs can lead to addiction It explains the social, mental, and emotional reasons behind drug use. The addiction cycles consists of 6 steps.

Step 1: A young person is experiencing pain or discomfort because of family or school problems. Step 2: The individual is looking for ways to feel better, so he or she starts to take drugs. Step 3: At first, the drugs seem to work because they dull the pain the person is trying to escape from. So the person keeps taking the drug.

Step 4: From this point, it often doesn't take long for the person to become addicted because he or she has developed a physical dependence (an Addiction) to the substance. Now the person can think only about getting more of this drug just to function. Step 5: At this stage, a serious downward spiral begins. The person will sacrifice anything; family, friends, school, or work for drugs. Changed by drugs both physically and mentally, the person is now an addict. Step 6: Death, jail, rehab.

7th Grade 1.Please get your folders and a sheet of paper and take your seat. 2.DO NOW: What is the difference between abuse and dependence of drugs?

There are 2 types of over drinking/drugging 1. A problem of cells in the brain 2. A situation of poor choice

Abuse Drug use is voluntary User has control Is making bad choices

Dependence Drug use is not a choice User is not in control It is disease over which the person has no control It is caused by a brain dysfunction caused by drug use It is a disease