The Health Risks of Drug
Use (2:49)
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activity
Do Now: Pick 3 words and write down the
definition.
substance abuse – Pg. 592
illegal drugs – Pg. 592
illicit drug – Pg. 592
Overdose – Pg. 593
Addiction – Pg. 594
Today’s Objectives
• List and describe 3 factors that influence teens
decision to use drugs.
• Explain how drugs impact a person’s physical,
mental and social health.
• List potential consequences for an individual
who uses illegal drugs.
• List the consequences of pregnant mothers
using illegal drugs.
Drug misuse and substance abuse are
life-threatening behaviors.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse includes the use of illegal
substances, as well as the misuse of legal
substances.
Medicines can be accidentally used in an
improper way or intentionally abused.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse includes the overuse, or
multiple use of a drug, use of an illegal drug, or use
of a drug with alcohol.
Substance abuse
Any unnecessary or improper use of
chemical substances for non-medical
purposes
Substance Abuse
Overuse of a
drug
Substance
abuse includes:
Multiple use of
a drug
Use of an illegal
drug
Use of a drug
with alcohol
Substance Abuse
Some abused substances are illegal drugs.
Illegal drugs
Chemical substances that people of
any age may not lawfully manufacture,
possess, buy, or sell
Substance Abuse
Illicit drug use includes the sale of prescription
drugs to those for whom the drugs are not
intended.
Illicit drug use
The use or sale of any substance that
is illegal or otherwise not permitted
Factors That Influence Teens
Peer Pressure
Family Members
Role Models
Media Messages
Perceptions of Drug Behavior
Misleading Information
Factors That Influence Teens
Role models can influence you to avoid drugs.
How Drugs Affect Your Health
Illegal drug use can lead to death.
Substance abuse is a leading cause of crime,
suicide, and unintentional injuries.
How Drugs Affect Your Health
Abusing drugs puts you at risk of an overdose or
of contracting infectious diseases such as hepatitis
B and HIV.
Overdose
A strong, sometimes fatal reaction
to taking a large amount of a drug
How Drugs Affect Your Health
Abusing drugs affects your mental health by
impairing your ability to reason and think.
The influence of illegal drug use may cause teens
to behave in ways that go against their values.
How Drugs Affect Your Health
Abusing drugs affects your social health in these
and other ways:
Teens who use drugs may lose friendships
with teens who choose to live drug-free.
Relationships with family members may
suffer.
Other Effects of Drug Use
People who abuse drugs can develop tolerance.
This is a condition in which the body becomes
accustomed to the drug and causes the user to
experience a need for more and more of the drug
to achieve the desired effect.
Other Effects of Drug Use
Psychological dependence: A drug abuser believes
that a drug is needed in order to feel good or to
function normally.
Other Effects of Drug Use
Physiological dependence: A drug abuser
develops a chemical need for a drug and
experiences symptoms of withdrawal when the
effects of the drug wear off.
Other Effects of Drug Use
A person with an addiction is someone who
requires persistent, compulsive use of a substance
known by the user to be harmful.
Addiction
A physiological or psychological
dependence on a drug
Other Effects of Drug Use
A user takes a drug to experience
short-term pleasure.
The Addiction
Cycle
The user takes
the drug again to
relieve withdrawal
symptoms and
repeat the feelings of
short-term pleasure.
As the effects of
the drug wear off,
the user then
experiences
symptoms of
withdrawal.
Other Effects of Drug Use
Drug use leads
to changes in
thinking and the
lowering of
inhibitions.
Drugs Take a Heavy Toll
In addition to the physical risks to a
person’s health, substance abuse can
damage all aspects of your life.
Drug use can create problems that affect a
user’s physical, mental/emotional, and social
health.
Consequences for the Individual
Teens who use illegal drugs may
stop pursuing interests
and goals.
be depressed.
engage in dangerous
behaviors.
be at risk of suicide.
engage in sexual
activity.
be involved in violence
or crime.
act recklessly.
be arrested.
Consequences for the Individual
Some states automatically suspend the driving
privileges of minors convicted of a drug offense.
Consequences for Friends and Family
Teens who use illegal drugs may stop spending
time with friends who value a drug-free lifestyle.
Family members who feel responsible for their
loved ones feel the burden of the emotional and
financial costs of drug abuse.
Consequences for Others
If a pregnant female takes drugs, those drugs are
passed to the fetus.
The fetus may be born with birth defects,
behavioral problems, or a drug addiction.
Consequences for Society
Illegal drug use can result in a rise in drug-related
crime and violence.
Driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the
influence (DUI) can result in collisions that cause
injuries and deaths.
The consequences of drug abuse—mental,
emotional, physical, legal, and social—are 100
percent preventable.
By choosing a drug-free lifestyle, you avoid these
consequences.
END
Exit Ticket
1) _______ is any unnecessary or improper use of chemical
substances for nonmedical purposes.
2) Which of the following is NOT usually a factor in deciding to
use an illegal drug?
a. Peer pressure at school
b. The original source of the drug
c. How role models live their lives
d. Messages on television and in movies
3) What is an overdose?
Answers
1) Substance Abuse
2) B. The original source of the drug
3) A strong sometimes fatal reaction to taking a large amount of
a drug.
After You Read
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
1. What is an overdose?
A strong, sometimes fatal reaction to taking
a large amount of a drug
After You Read
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
2. How can an addiction affect your health?
Addiction affects physical health by increasing the
risk of contracting diseases. Your mental health is
affected because drugs impair a teens’ ability to
reason and think. Social health is affected because
teens who use drugs may lose friendships with teens
who choose to live drug-free.
After You Read
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
3. How does drug abuse affect society?
It can lead to crime and violence, as well as
injury and death from vehicle collisions.
These effects also have an economic cost to
society.