1. Bell Ringer Open your student workbook to page 63.
Under the heading titled Journal Entry, write a few sentences about a time you had to make a decision about something important. What did you think about before you made your decision? What possible choices did you consider? What steps did you go though as you made your decision?

2. Unit 5: Tobacco, Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention
Lesson 12: Making Decisions about Drugs

3. Healthy Behavior Outcomes
Avoid experimentation with alcohol and other drugs.
Avoid riding in a motor vehicle with a driver who is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

4. Lesson Objectives By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
Apply decision-making skills to situations involving drug use.

5. Turn to page 9 in your student workbook.
As you listen to the story, underline the effects of the drugs and the negative consequences that resulted, and circle any decision points that led to unhealthy or dangerous outcomes.

6. What were some of the effects of the drugs in the story?
What were some of the consequences that resulted from using drugs?
What were the decision points that lead to unhealthy or dangerous outcomes?
Who was responsible for the negative consequences that happened in this story?

7. Summary There were many decision points in this story.
Each decision point was a chance for someone to take responsibility and make decisions that would lead to a safer outcome.
YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER NEARLY EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE!!!
Recognize risks, knowing/respecting your values, consider your options.
It is your responsibility to make choices that will keep you healthy and safe.

8. When might you need to make a decision about what to do to avoid using tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs?

9. Summary
If you are in a situation in which you are facing pressure to use a drug, you need to make a quick decision.
Sometimes pressures come up that you didn’t expect or plan for.
If you are being pressured to use an illegal drug, it is definitely time to make a careful decision.

10. Summary (cont.)
Sometimes someone else’s drug use can put you at risk for injury or other negative consequences, for example, if you ride with a driver who has been drinking alcohol or using other drugs.
Another example is if you are with peers who are caught drinking, buying tobacco products or using other illegal drugs, you may suffer legal consequences too, even if you were not using these drugs yourself.

12. Summary
In the example we just examined, the decision would most likely be made in much less time than it took us to go through all of the steps.
Sometimes in a pressure situation you have only a few seconds to make a decision about using a drug.
This is why thinking about the choice to stay drug free ahead of time is important.
If you have already made a commitment to avoid being around any kind of drug, it will be easier to protect your health by refusing to smoke with the new friends.

13. Turn to page 9 in your student workbook.
With your partner, read the sample situation and then work through the decision-making steps with your partner.

15. Summary
As you can see, there are often different options that could work.
The most important thing is to consider all the factors affecting your decision, and all the possible consequences of each option, so you can make the choice that is healthiest and safest for you.

16. How can making healthy and safe decisions help you avoid the negative consequences of drug use?