Drug Statistics
 Alcohol and drugs are the leading cause of death for
youth 16-24.
 45-60% of all fatal traffic accidents involve alcohol.
 80% of all attempted suicides and 60% of completed
suicides are related to alcohol, drug use.
 For youth, the time required to move from initial use
to serious, chronic abuse of alcohol is 15 years.
Drug Stats cont’d
 Drug, alcohol dependence develops 10-15 times faster
in youth.
 Alcohol and/or drugs play a role in:
 70 out of 100 murders
 50 out of 100 arrests
 50 out of 100 drownings
Note: What is a drug?
 A drug is anything other than food or water that
when put into the body changes the way the body or
mind works. This definition includes medicines,
over-the-counter drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol,
nicotine, food preservatives, many industrial
chemicals and pollutants.
Note: Common Methods of Taking
Drugs
There are many different kinds of drugs which can be
taken into the body in a number of ways:
INGEST – to take orally eg)pills
INHALE – to breathe in through the nose/mouth
eg) nicotine
INJECT – to insert into the bloodstream (the most
direct eg) insulin
ABSORB – to take in through tissue walls eg)
ointment
Methods of taking drugs
Inhaling
Snorting
Injection
Note: Dependence/Tolerance
Physical Dependence
 When a drug user’s body becomes accustomed to a drug that it
can only function normally if the drug is present. ( suffers
withdrawal symptoms if drug not present)
Psychological Dependence
 When a drug is so central to a person’s thoughts, emotions, etc,
that it is extremely difficult to stop using it (intense craving for
the drug and its effects)
Tolerance
 A user needs more and more of the drug to get the same effect
over time. (increases physical health hazards because amount
increases)
Note: Drugs
Drug Misuse
 For most medical drugs there is a proper use.
 Misuse occurs when the drug is taken:
- for the wrong reason
-in the wrong amount
- at an inappropriate time
-in an inappropriate place
Note: Drugs
Drug Abuse
 A person who spends a great deal of time thinking
about and using drugs.
 May cause problems such as missing school, having
accidents, etc.
Overdose
 A dose that can cause serious and sudden physical or
mental damage.
 May or may not be fatal depending on drug.
Dear Abby
Dear Abby: I recently read the following item, comparing the
top seven problems – past and present – confronting our
schools, and thought you might like to print it.
Top Problems in 1949
1. Talking
2. Chewing gum
3. Making noise
4. Running in the halls
5. Getting out of line
6. Wearing improper clothing
7. Not putting paper in the wastebaskets
Top Problems Today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Drug abuse
Alcohol abuse
Pregnancy
Suicide
Rape
Robbery
Assault
Note: 3 Categories of Drugs
Stimulants
 Speed up nervous system
 Feel more alert and active
 Increase heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate
 Includes caffeine, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine
Stimulants
Caffeine
Cocaine
Nicotine
Note: Depressants
Depressants
 Sedative
 Slow body functions
 Relax muscles, relieves stress
 Slows heart rate, blood pressure, respiration
 Includes alcohol, LSD, cannabis, opioids
Depressants
LSD
Alcohol
Amphetamines
Note: Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens
 Drugs that produce imaginary visions
 Includes LSD, cannabis, PCP. Magic mushrooms
Cannabis
LSD
Note: The Effects of a Drug Problem on
a Person’s Life
1
2
3
HEALTH
FAMILY
WORK
-malnourished
-overweight
-vitamin deficiency
-liver or heart disease
-General physical ill
health
-arguments, fighting
-lack of affection
-neglect
-broken home
-late
-absent
-sloppiness
-accidents
4
5
6
SOCIAL
MONEY
LEGAL
-loss of friends
Using drugs alone at
home
-using money for drugs
instead of food/clothes,
debts
-driving while under the
influence of drugs
-being drunk in a public
place
-fighting, vandalism
Reasons for Using and Not Using
Drugs
Brainstorm with a partner
Reasons for Using Drugs










To increase pleasure
Because they like the way they taste
They like the way they feel after using drugs
Curiosity
Celebration
Forget problems
Family custom
To socialize
Friends use drugs
Boredom
Reasons for Not Using Drugs
 Because they think using drugs is wrong
 Religion forbids use
 Don’t like taste
 Believe drugs will damage health
 Cost
 Don’t like the feeling drugs give them
 Positive peer pressure
 Family norms
 Community norms
Note: Date Rape Drugs
Rohypnol
What are date rape drugs?
 These are drugs that are sometimes used to assist a
sexual assault. These drugs often have no colour or
smell.
What do the drugs look like?
 Rohypnol is a pill and dissolves in liquids. New pills
turn blue when added to liquids. However, the old pills
have no colour and are still available. GHB is a clear,
colourless liquid.
What effects do these drugs have on the body?
 Memory loss
GHB
 Low blood pressure
 Sleepiness
 Less muscle control
 Drunk feeling
How can I protect myself from being a victim?
 Never leave your drink unattended
 Don’t share drinks
 Have a non-drinking friend with you
 Don’t accept drinks from anyone
 Use a bottle instead of a glass
Test Your Smoking IQ
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The nicotine in cigarettes causes cancer. ___
The tar in ciagarettes causes addiction. ___
Cigarette smoking can lead to heart disease. ___
Over 1000 people die each day from smoking. ___
It is safe to smoke filtered cigarettes.___
Chewing tobacco contains less nicotine than
cigarettes.___
Being in a smoke filled room for one hour is the same
as smoking one cigarette. ___
8. Being in a smoke filled room for one hour is the same
as smoking one cigarette. ___
9. A woman who smokes during pregnancy can harm the
fetus. ___
10. Polonium is a radioactive element found in cigarette
smoke. ___
11. Smoking pipes can cigars is a great deal less
dangerous then smoking cigarettes. ___
What’s in a cigarette
Did you know?
 Smoking increases by grade from 1% in 7th gr to 17% in
12th graders
 It is illegal to give or sell tobacco to anyone under 19
 Tobacco is responsible for about 1/3rd of cancers
 5% of Ottawa students smoked their first cigarette in
Gr 7 or 8
 Another 12% smoked their first one in high school
 Remaining 83% have never smoked
Handout: Health Benefits of
Quitting Smoking
Within 20 minutes of last cigarette:
 Bp may drop to normal levels
 Pulse rate drops to normal rate
 Body temp of hands, feet increases to normal
8 hours:
 Carbon monoxide level in blood drops
 Oxygen level in blood increases
24 hours:
 Nerve endings may re-grow
 Ability to smell and taste enhanced
72 hours:
 Bronchial tubes relax, if undamaged make breathing easier
 Lung capacity increases
2 weeks to 3 months:
 Circulation improves
 Walking becomes easier
 Lung function may increase up to 20%
1 month to 9 months
 Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath may decrease
markedly over a number of weeks
 Potential for cilia to re-grow in lungs, increasing ability to handle
mucous, clean the lungs and reduce infection
1 Year:
 The risk of heart disease is reduced by half. After 15 years, the risk is
similar to that of persons who have never smoked.
2 Years:
 Cervical cancer risk reduced compared to continuing smokers
 Bladder cancer risk halved to continuing smokers
5 Years:
 Lung cancer death rate average smoker (one pack a day) decreases from 137 per
100 000 to 72 per 100 000.
 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of someone who has
never smoked.
10 Years and Longer:
 Precancerous cells are replaced
 Risk of other cancers decrease
 After long term quitting the risk of death from lung disease is reduced
compared to someone who continues to smoke.
Cancer of the lung
Note: Drug Use Continuum
 There is no automatic progression from stage to stage
 Patterns of use can be influenced by many
environmental factors (eg. Family, peers, media, and
peer influence)
Note: Non-use
 Never used a particular drug
Note: Experimental Use
 Has tried a substance once or several times. Use is
motivated by curiosity about the drug effect, and peer
influence.
Note: Occasional Use
 Use is infrequent and irregular, usually confined to
special occasions (holidays, birthdays, etc) or when
opportunities present themselves directly. Availability,
accessibility and affordability influence use.
Note: Regular Use
 Use has a predictable pattern, which may entail
frequent or infrequent use. The user actively seeks to
experience the drug effect, or to participate in the
drug-taking activities of the peer group. Usually
he/she feels in control of the drug use.
Note: Dependence Use
 Use is regular and predictable and usually frequent.
The user experiences a physiological and/or
psychological need for the drug. He or she feels out of
control about its use and will continue to use despite
adverse consequences. Drugs are often used alone and
daily activities may be planned around drug use.
Trevor’s Story
 Read the article “Trevor’s Story” and answer the
following questions on a separate piece of paper.
Cannabis
 Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug
among Ottawa youth
 More students report trying cannabis (23%) than
cigarettes (18%) at least once in the past year.
 Cannabis smoke contains more tar and more of some
cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke
 Early use increases the risk of schizophrenia as young
brains are still developing and more susceptible.
 Results show Cannabis is used by ¼ of Ottawa youth
Cannabis
DESCRIPTION
-dried leaves, stems and seeds of cannabis plant
-smoked in piped or joints
COMMON NAMES
-marijuana, hashish, hash, pot, mary jane, weed, grass
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-get a high feeling, become relaxed and more talkative
-hr, bp rise, eyes blood shot, sleepy, memory and
concentration impaired, hallucinate
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-lose interest in activities, ability to learn new things
decreased, get infections more often
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
-buying, selling, using illegal unless special permission
from court for medical use.
Cannabis
Alcohol
 Alcohol is the most commonly used drug
 About 24% of Ottawa students report binge drinking
(5 or more drinks on one occasion) in the past month
 12% of drivers in high school drove within an hour of
consuming 2 or more alcoholic drinks at least once
during the past year.
 30% of students were passengers with an intoxicated
driver in the past year and knowingly got in the car.
Alcohol
DESCRIPTION
-most common drug, depressant that slows
down CNS, made through fermenting
fruit/grains
COMMON NAMES
-beer, wine, spirits, booze, brew
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-at first relaxed and actions inhibited, can’t think
clearly, reflexes slow, mood changes, concerns of
binge drinking or alcohol poisoning
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-inflamed stomach, liver problems, cancers, heart
disease, brain and nerve damage, FES in pregnant
women
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
-legal in ontario if over 19
Alcohol
Tobacco
DESCRIPTION
Crushed, dried leaves of tobacco plant
-second most popular drug
COMMON NAMES
Cigarettes, smokes, sticks, butts
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-hr and bp rise, skin cooler, stomach acid rises,
appetite decreases, less capable of vigorous activity
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-blood vessels narrow, respiratory problems, cancers,
stomach ulcers, risk of infections rise
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
-no penalty for smoking under 19, illegal to sell to
someone if under 19, illegal on school property
Tobacco
Opiates
DESCRIPTION
-natural substances
-used for the relief of pain
-heroin is morphine that has been manipulated
COMMON NAMES
-junk, horse, smack, meth, percs, juice
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-initial surge of pleasure, restlesness, nausea,
vomiting, in an out of consciousness, pupils contract,
skin cold, respiratory problems, high risk of overdose
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-infections, respiratory problems, dependence
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
-some legal with a prescription for medical reasons
only, all other uses illegal
Opiates
Solvents/Aerosoles
DESCRIPTION
-substances never intended to be drugs
-made by chemical industries to be used in
products such as gas, shoe polish, hairspray,
removers
COMMON NAMES
-glue, gas, sniff
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-feelings of euphoria, lightheaded, nausea, drooling,
loss of co-ordination, brain damage, death
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-pallor, weight loss, sores, liver and kidney
impairment, mental confusion, depression, paranoia,
brain damage
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
-possession is legal
Solvents/Aerosoles
Caffeine
DESCRIPTION
-comes from plants, includes coffee, tea, cocoa
COMMON NAMES
-none
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-elevates mood, reduces fatigue, large doses cause
irritability, restless, nervous, insomnia, increases hr,
bp, urine production
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-large doses may cause insomnia, restlessness, muscle
twitching, irregular heart beat
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
Legal
-restricted under IOC – considered performance
enhancing drug
Caffeine
Cocaine
DESCRIPTION
-stimulates CNS
-can be snorted, sniffed, injected, smoked
-crack –freebase form of drug that is smoked
-cocaine is a fine white powder
COMMON NAMES
C, coke, flake, snow, blow, rock, ice
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-decreased appetite, more energy, not tired, hr and bp
increase, breathing increases, great risk of stroke,
heart attack, pupils enlarge, bizarre behaviour,
paranoia
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-nose tissue damage, undernourished, tolerance
increases, risk of HIV, infections, paranoia
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
-illegal
Cocaine
Rohypnol
DESCRIPTION
-sedative, date rape drug, tablets that dissolve in
liquid
COMMON NAMES
-date rape drug, roofies, roachies, forget pill, ropes
SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-depends on amount taken, relaxed, drowsy, clumsy,
slurred speech, weak, confusion, periods of blackout
for 8-24 hours
LONG TERM EFFECTS
-long term use can cause dependence
LEGAL STATUS/
CONSEQUENCES
-no legal in Canada
Rohypnol
Magic Mushrooms
 COMMON NAMES
-shrooms
 SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-decreased appetite, cold in extremities, increased hr
and bp, nausea, hallucinations
 LONG TERM EFFECTS
-not toxic but a bad trip can cause severe emotional and
psychological distress
 LEGAL STATUS
Illegal for recreational use
Methamphetamine
 DESCRIPTION
- Looks like pieces of broken glass or white powder
 COMMON NAMES
-crystal meth, speed, chalk
 SHORT TERM EFFECTS
-euphoria, increased energy, nausea, sweating, loss of
appetite, insomnia, agitation
 LONG TERM EFFECTS
-long term use can cause dependence, weight loss, tooth
decay, brain damage, “insects on skin” (compulsive picking
at skin)
 LEGAL STATUS
Illegal
Problem Solving Approach –
I.D.E.A.L
I – Identify the real problem
D – Describe or list all the possible solutions (every
problem involves many situations)
E – Evaluate the consequences of each solution – would
it be good or bad?
A – Act on a plan, choose one solution for yourself to try
L – Learn – Did that solution or idea help? Why not?
What might work better next time?
Case Study – Use IDEAL
The principal of your high school speaks to your class
regarding a classmate who has been hospitalized for a
near-fatal overdose. The school staff and the class
mate’s parents are worried that if the person
trafficking the drugs isn’t caught , someone else could
suffer the same fate. It is suggested that all the
information can be reported anonymously. You are
aware of a classmate with whom you are friends, who
sells these drugs. What should you do?
IDEAL cont’d
I–
D – a)
b)
c)
Pro
E – a)
b)
c)
A–
L-
Con
Note: Comparison of Assertive,
Aggressive, Non-Assertive
Communication
ASSERTIVE
AGGRESSIVE
NON-ASSERTIVE
Strong & steady voice
Loud & explosive voice
Soft, uncertain voice
Good eye contact
Intimidating looks
Downcast eyes
Strong body language
Intimidating body
language
Shifting weight back &
forth
Aware of other feelings
Insensitive
Doesn’t feel comfortable
talking about how he/she
feels
Confident
Demanding
Nervous
In control
Cannot control temper
Uncertain
This is what I think
This is what I want
My thoughts aren’t impt
“I” statements
“You’d better” If you don’t “ I guess, maybe”
then look out
Types of Pressure - Note
Peer Pressure
Persuasive strategies commonly
used to pressure individuals into
doing something they really don’t
want to do.
Note
Subtle/Indirect Pressure
 Seeing others use substances (i.e. friends, family, TV)
creates subtle pressure. “If it’s okay for them, it must
be okay for me”
 Eg) Your friend is talking on the phone, organizing a
party. You hear her say, “Oh, buy some beer for Jen as
well, I’m sure she’ll be drinking too”
Note
Direct Pressure
 Being offered a substance or being asked if you would
like to use a substance.
Eg) You are standing by your locker, about to go to your
next class. Your best friend tells you, “Grab your stuff
and let’s go! We’re skipping!”
Note
Internal Pressure
 Your thoughts, values, and perceived societal
expectations which may affect behaviour
External Pressure
 Pressures from your external environment, including
friends, family, media, work, etc. which may affect your
behaviour.
Handout: Refusal Techniques
There are many different ways to say “no” to peer
pressure. Some of these techniques are:
Refusal Techniques-handout
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
No Thanks technique
Give a reason or excuse
Broken Record
Walk away
Avoid the situation
Cold Shoulder
Change the subject
Strength in numbers
Humour
State a health problem
Reverse the pressure