1. 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.

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

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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. 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.

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

15. 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.