1. RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES
TO DRUG ABUSE

2. KEYWORDS
Drug
A substance which when taken affects the mind and body in some way.
Prescription Drugs
Drugs legally given to a person by a doctor
Illegal Drugs
Drugs which are illegal to possess, sell or use example cocaine
Social Drugs
Legal drugs which are readily available but still addictive example caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
Drug Classification
3 categories which illegal drugs are divided into depending on how harmful and addictive they are-Class A, B or C
Rehabilitation
Process by which addicts are helped to defeat their addiction to drugs

3. KEY RELIGIOUS IDEAS The story of the Good Samaritan
The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
The story of the Good Samaritan
This suggests that we should help everyone in need, even if they are different to us.
This suggests everyone has a bit of God inside them
Therefore, religious believers should not do anything to harm the body, for example take illegal drugs as this would be destroying a bit of God inside them.
Therefore, religious believers think they should help drug addicts because they are damaging themselves and are the most in need of help.

4. REASONS WHY PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS
CAUSES AND EFFECTS
REASONS WHY PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS
Peer pressure – all their friends are doing it and they don’t want to be the odd one out
Enjoyment – they see it as a way of having fun
CASE STUDY – BEN ROGERS
Ben’s heroin use affected his family as his dad felt unable to retire because their life savings had gone to pay for drugs and drug treatments for Ben. His parents paid for his drugs because they did not want him stealing from other people as this would have caused harm to them and possibly resulted in a criminal record for Ben.

5. CAUSES AND EFFECTS EXPLANATION QUESTIONS
In your exam you will be asked to explain either reasons why people might believe in or do certain things.
These questions are usually worth 3 marks.
The key to getting full marks on these questions is to give the same number of correct and relevant points as there are marks available.
Explain why some people take illegal drugs. (3 marks)
EXAMPLE
Explain how taking illegal drugs could affect a person’s life. (3 marks)
Taking illegal drugs could affect a person’s physical health, eg heroin use can use vein damage.
Also it could mean that they lose their job if they are constantly unable to work properly because they are high on drugs.
Lastly, it could mean that they would struggle to keep in touch with friends who were not on drugs as many people would not want to spend time with someone who was always under the influence of drugs.

6. WAYS OF REDUCING DRUG ABUSE
COMPULSORY REHABILITATION
Expensive
People have to want to stop taking drugs in order for this to work
Gives people support and help to stop taking drugs
TOUGHER PRISON SENTENCES
Should send a clear message that taking drugs is bad for people
Expensive to keep people in prison
LEGALISE DRUGS
Should make drugs safer as illegal dealers would no longer be able to mix them with other things
Does not deal with the problem of getting people who are already on drugs to stop taking them

7. WAYS OF REDUCING DRUG ABUSE
OPINION QUESTIONS
‘Better drugs education is the best way to tackle the problem of illegal drugs.’ What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)
In your exam you will be asked what you think about a statement and to then explain your opinion.
These questions are usually worth 3 marks.
The key to getting full marks on these questions is to give the same number of correct and relevant points as there are marks available.
You can give 3 points that support one side of an argument or you can give a mixture of points for and against – it doesn’t really matter as long as you give 3 points.
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2
ONE SIDED OPINION – ‘The best way to tackle the problem of illegal drugs is increase prison sentences for drug offences’. What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)
I disagree with this as simply putting a drug user in prison does not address the reasons why they take drugs in the first place.
Also drugs are relatively easy to get hold of in prison so it could end up making their habit worse.
Lastly, it is expensive to keep people in prison so this would mean an even greater cost to the tax payer.
TWO SIDED OPINION – ‘The best way to tackle the problem of illegal drugs is increase prison sentences for drug offences’. What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)
I disagree with this as simply putting a drug user in prison does not address the reasons why they take drugs in the first place.
Also drugs are relatively easy to get hold of in prison so it could end up making their habit worse.
However, you could argue that longer prison sentences might put people off taking or selling drugs in the first place.

8. SHOULD WE HELP DRUG ADDICTS? WHAT WOULD CHRISTIANS SAY?NO
YES
It is an individual’s own choice to take drugs, why should the rest of us have to pay for their mistakes?
Many addicts take drugs to escape serious problems – these problems can relate back to childhood when it could be argued it was not their fault.
Drugs are responsible for a lot of crime, we would all benefit if more people stopped taking them
WHAT WOULD CHRISTIANS SAY?
The Story of the Good Samaritan teaches to help those in need, even if they are not the most desirable people to help, drug addicts are clearly in need because they are damaging themselves, so we should help them

9. SHOULD WE HELP DRUG ADDICTS?
‘Drug addicts don’t deserve any help, it is their own fault’. What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)
‘A religious believer has a duty to help drug addicts’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)

10. WHAT DO DRUG CLASSES MEAN?
ILLEGAL DRUGS
WHAT DO DRUG CLASSES MEAN?
Drugs are classified according to how harmful they are to the body. Class A drugs are the most harmful and have the longest prison sentences for possession and supply.
WHAT IS A DRUG?
A substance that effects the way the body works.
Leah Betts died after taking an ecstasy tablet at her 18th Birthday party. Leah had drank 7 litres of water in 90mins to counter the drug’s dehydration effect, this caused her brain to swell and become irreparably damaged.
Drug misuse during pregnancy can cause babies to be born with serious birth defects – the picture to the right is the foot of a baby whose mother abused drugs during her pregnancy.
Actress Daniella Westbrook abused cocaine so severely that the septum in her nose fell out. The drug cuts off the blood supply to the septum and causes it to fall away.

11. ILLEGAL DRUGS Explain how illegal drugs can damage the body. (3 marks)
Explain what a drug is and how they are classified.
(3 marks)

12. CHRISTIANS AND ALCOHOL
LEGAL DRUGS
CHRISTIANS AND ALCOHOL
NAME
RESTRICTIONS
MAKES USERS
HEALTH RISKS
Alcohol
18 to buy
Feel confident.
In small amounts it can make people feel relaxed, in large amounts it can make people feel aggressive
Excessive alcohol leads to increased risk of liver cancer, heart disease and stomach cancer. Police identify it as a major cause of violent crime.
Moderate amounts of alcohol do not cause significant health risks.
Tobacco
Feel relaxed
Increased risk of cancer and heart disease. Responsible for 2,000 limb amputations per year
Caffeine
No age restriction on most forms
Makes people feel awake and alert
Excessive amounts cause headaches, tiredness and anxiety disorders.
Moderate amounts do not cause significant health risks.
Solvents
Some are age restricted (certain types of glue) but others are freely available (deodorants)
Makes people intensely happy and relaxed
Risk of fatal intoxication (suffocating on the chemicals)
Prescription Drugs
Prescribed by a doctor
Depends on what they are for.
Medication taken by someone who does not need it can cause serious side effects.
People can become dependent on painkillers or sleeping tablets (either physically or mentally).
Taking medicine that has been prescribed for someone else can cause a range of side effects because your body does not need it.
The majority of Christians allow alcohol to be drank in moderation as, provided people are sensible with how much they drink, it does not cause significant harm to the body.
Many Christians use the story of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding to justify the idea that drinking in moderation is acceptable
Salvation Army Christians do not approve of drinking alcohol as they believe it is too easy for it to spiral out of control and ruin people’s lives.

13. LEGAL DRUGS
‘Tobacco should not be legal’. What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)
‘A religious believer should not drink alcohol’
What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks)

14. CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ON DRUGS
Taking illegal drugs would be considered wrong because they harm the body, eg cocaine can cause heart attacks, which in turn, harms the bit of God inside it.
In the Bible it says, ‘The body is a temple of the holy spirit’.
This suggests that everyone has a bit of God inside them.
Therefore…
Drinking alcohol in excess would be considered wrong because it harms the body, eg it damages the liver, which in turn, harms the bit of God inside it.
Taking prescription drugs that have been given to you by a doctor would be acceptable because they stop the body, and therefore the bit of God inside it, from suffering, eg antibiotics get rid of infection.
Taking prescription drugs that have not been given to you by a doctor would be considered wrong as this could causes serious side effects, eg facial hair in women who take steroids if they don’t really need them.
Strictly speaking, smoking tobacco would be considered wrong because it harms the body, eg it can cause lung cancer, which in turn harms the bit of God inside it.
Using solvents inappropriately, eg inhaling the chemicals within them, would be considered wrong as this harms the body, eg it can cause suffocation, which in turn harms the bit of God inside it.
Caffeine in excessive amounts should be avoided at it harms the body, eg causes headaches and anxiety, which in turn, harms the bit of God inside it.

15. CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ON DRUGS
RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES
QUESTIONS
CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ON DRUGS
Explain religious attitudes to smoking tobacco
In your exam you will be asked to explain religious attitudes to an issue.
These questions will usually be worth 4 marks. The key to getting full marks on these questions is to give 2 Bible quotes with a relevant explanation for each one.
It is important to use the wording of the question in your explanation to show the examiner that you are answering the question you have been set.
Use the ‘3 step process’ to help you answer these questions:
In the Bible it says…(give a relevant Bible quote)
This suggests…(explain what the quote means)
Therefore…(link the quote back to the question)
EXAMPLE
Explain religious attitudes to drinking alcohol (4 marks).
In the Bible it says, The body is a temple of the holy spirit. This suggests that everyone has a bit of God inside them. Therefore many Christians would approve of drinking alcohol in moderation as this does not harm the body or the bit of God inside it.
Also in the Bible it says, ‘You are not yours, you were bought at a price.’ This suggests that people belong to God and should be willing and able to do his work, eg helping others. Therefore a Christian would not approve of drinking alcohol in excess as this could alter their behaviour, eg by making them violent which would mean that they would be of no use to anyone.

16. CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ON DRUGS
Explain religious attitudes towards using illegal drugs. (4 marks)
In the Bible it says
This suggests
Therefore
In the Bible it also says

17. DRUGS AND THE LAW THE CANNABIS DEBATE SHOULD ALL DRUGS BE LEGAL? YES
Cannabis was downgraded from class B to class C in Campaign groups argued that the effects of the drug were no worse than those for tobacco or alcohol, which are both legal.
YES NO
Alcohol and tobacco are harmful to the body yet they are still legal
They are harmful to the body
Being illegal hasn’t stopped people taking drugs
They are harmful to society, they affect how people behave etc
Being illegal could actually make taking drugs more attractive
Being illegal discourages the majority of people from taking them
In 2008 it was reclassified back to class B after research indicated that the use of ‘skunk’ cannabis, which is much stronger, had increased from 30% of users to 81%. Skunk cannabis is believed to have more serious side effects and be more addictive.
I don’t think that the NHS should have to pay for illnesses related to drinking and smoking as these people have ‘chosen’ to make themselves ill
Over £16 billion is raised each year through taxing alcohol and tobacco, the government relies on this money to fund public services like the NHS

18. ‘We should make all drugs legal’.
DRUGS AND THE LAW
EVALUATION QUESTIONS
‘We should make all drugs legal’.
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
In your exam you will be given a statement and asked to think about it from two different points of view. You will also need to say whether or not you think that Christians would agree with the statement.
These questions are usually worth 6 marks and the best way to get full marks is to give 4 reasons (at least 1 for each side) and a Bible quote with an explanation (as this is worth 2 marks).
I think that
On the other hand you could argue that
In the Bible it says
This suggests
Therefore
EXAMPLE
‘Smoking tobacco is worse than taking illegal drugs’. Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
I think that this not true because unlike illegal drugs, tobacco does not affect your behaviour. Also taxes raised through smoking tobacco raise billions of pounds every year and much of this money is spent on the NHS and education, unlike illegal drugs which raise no money because they are not taxed. Furthermore, smoking tobacco is not breaking the law, unlike taking illegal drugs.
On the other hand you could argue that tobacco is worse because more people die of smoking related illnesses every year than they do of taking illegal drugs.
Christians would disagree that tobacco is worse than illegal drugs because in the Bible it says, ‘You are not yours, you were bought at a price’. This suggests that people belong to God and should be willing and able to do his work, eg helping others. Therefore tobacco would not be seen as bad as illegal drugs because it does not affect a person’s behaviour meaning that they are still able to do God’s work, eg help others.

19. CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ABOUT THE MIND AND BODY
THE BODY
THE MIND
In the Bible it says, ‘The body is a temple of the holy spirit’.
This suggests that everyone has a bit of God inside them.
Therefore they believe that it is important to look after the body and avoid anything that may harm it such as using illegal drugs or drinking excesive amounts of alcohol.
In the Bible it says, ‘You are not yours, you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God with your body and your spirit’.
This suggests that the mind and body belong to God and so should be used for doing his work, eg helping others.
Therefore Christians believe it is important to look after the mind, by avoiding illegal drugs and alcohol in excess as these would leave them unable to be of any use to God or others
RIGHTS
RESPONSIBILITIES
Everyone has the right to medical treatment if they are ill. In Britain we have the NHS which ensures free healthcare for all.
Christians believe that it is acceptable to take medicines prescribed by a doctor as these are intended to heal an ill body or mind and restore it to health.
Everyone has the responsibility to care for their body. In the event of an individual needing medicines, they should use it appropriately and should never pass on prescription medication to other people, as this could be dangerous.

20. CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ABOUT THE MIND AND BODY
‘If a person wants to take illegal drugs we should not stop them as it is their choice ’.
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks)
I think that
On the other hand you could argue that
In the Bible it says
This suggests
Therefore