Speaking Out About Drugs
TOPIC: Illicit Drugs
CONCEPT: Middle school students undergo a drastic change in attitudes about illicit drug use.
For example, the percentage of teens who say they would report a student, whom they personally
saw using illegal drugs to school officials plummets from 84% to 49%.* Access to accurate
information about the risks associated with illicit drug use for youth and opportunities to share
opinions with peers are protective factors for teens.
OBJECTIVE: Students review facts about the effect of psychoactive drugs on the developing
brain and explore and share opinions about preventing their use.
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
Method: Individual and small group activity
Time Frame: 25 minutes plus "Post Test" and "Discussion"
Material: "Look Who's Speaking Out About Drugs" - one for each pair of students (see link
below)
ACTIVITY: Print out "Look Who's Speaking Out About Drugs". Provide information about the
effects of psychoactive drugs on the developing brain (see information below). Follow
immediately with the "Post-Test" questions to determine the extent to which students understand
the information provided. Confirm answers by re-reading the corresponding text on the next
page.
POST-TEST: After the information portion of the activity, ask the class:
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When does the brain complete its development?
How much does the average brain weigh at birth? When fully grown?
What does "psycho-active" mean?
Are there positive uses for psychoactive drugs? What?
What do psychoactive drugs do in the brain - how do they operate?
Why is the use of non-prescribed psychoactive drugs more dangerous for children and
adolescents than for adults?
What, if any, piece of information about psychoactive drugs surprised you?
Using the handout, instruct each student to give their opinions on the five questions (allow 10
minutes.) Form triads and instruct members to share their opinions with each other (allow 15
minutes.) Follow with the "Discussion."
DISCUSSION: After the small group sharing activity, facilitate a class discussion using the
following questions and list the students' ideas on the board.
What were some of the opinions you shared in your small groups:
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What the government can do about stopping the use of illegal drugs?
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What can communities do to prevent young people from using illicit drugs?
What can parents do to protect their children from using drugs?
What can young people do to protect themselves and their friends from drugs?
What did you say you were willing to do to?
Which question was the hardest to answer? Why?
Were you surprised by the opinions of your peers on any of the questions?
What do you think we can do as a school to stop drug use by students?
What is the first step?
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE DEVELOPING BRAIN
The latest studies on the brain reveal that it does not finish developing until a person is around
twenty years old. The brain of people under 21 years of age is very different from people over 21
years of age... children and adolescents are not just "little adults." Think of the brain as a
computer. It comes into the world with the basic operating systems, central nervous system,
circulatory system, respiratory system, reflexes, etc. However, it does not have all its software the programs for vision, speech, emotions, memory, abstract thinking, problem solving and
attention and concentration. The brain needs input from the five senses to build these capacities.
The brain not only grows bigger - from one pound at birth to three pounds at adulthood - but it
continues to "program" itself for 20 years, completing the development process started before
birth. During this 20-year period, the brain is creating a complete human being, who is ready to
function independently. The brain is on a schedule, with each stage of development allotted a
specific period of time for completion. In other words, if anything prevents the brain from
accomplishing a development task on its schedule, it has to skip that task. Therefore, any
substance that interferes with how the brain operates during this 20-year period of development,
such as a psychoactive (mind/mood-altering) drug, can change the course of a person's physical,
mental, emotional and social development.
Some psychoactive drugs are prescribed to treat malfunctions in the brain such as seizures and
degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. When prescribed, these drugs can be
life saving. However, "self-prescription" of psychoactive drugs, such as use of alcohol, cocaine,
amphetamine, methamphetamine, marijuana, hallucinogens, inhalants, nicotine, caffeine, opiates,
sedatives, and steroids, can be harmful or deadly. Psychoactive drugs change how the brain cells
communicate with each other by interfering with neurotransmitters - the messengers that go
between brain cells translating the messages to ensure accurate and timely communication
between cells. Psychoactive drugs act like computer viruses; they change, delete or scramble the
code that our computer - the brain - uses to operate. They deactivate and activate the brain
centers that control speech, hearing, vision, fine movements, gross movements, learning, anger,
fear, pain, pleasure, hunger, etc.. For any brain, non-prescribed psychoactive drugs can change
the way people think, feel and behave - they are altered. For a brain that is on a development
schedule, turning off brain centers - even for a short while - can be devastating. Adult brains,
which can still be harmed by use of psychoactive drugs, do not sustain the same level of damage
because their brains have completed development. The use of non-prescription psychoactive
drugs by children and adolescents can permanently alter their mental and social development which is not evident until well after their use. Adults can usually recover depending on the
amount of damage they sustained. However, missed developmental tasks in children and youth
can be devastating and hidden until they need what didn't get developed. That is why so much
effort is focused on preventing use of psychoactive drugs by children.
Cynthia Kuhn, Ph.D., Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., and Wilkie Wilson, Ph.D., Buzzed: The
Straight Facts Abut the Most Used and Abused Drugs (from Alcohol to Ecstasy), Duke
University Medical Center, 1998.
Speaking Out About Alcohol
TOPIC: Alcohol
CONCEPT: Alcohol is the "drug of choice" for today's young people, and they are starting to
drink at earlier ages than ever before. Research has shown that the earlier a young person starts
using alcohol the more likely he or she is to experience serious alcohol-related and health
problems later in life. Access to accurate information about the risks associated with alcohol use,
and opportunities to share opinions with peers, are protective factors for teens.
OBJECTIVE: Students review facts about alcohol's effect on the developing brain and explore
and share opinions about its use.
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
Method: Individual and small group activity
Time Frame: 25 minutes plus "Post Test" and "Discussion"
Material: "Look Who's Speaking Out About Alcohol" - one for each pair of students (see link
below)
ACTIVITY: Print out "Look Who's Speaking Out About Alcohol". Provide information about
the effects of alcohol on the developing brain ( see information below). Follow immediately with
the "Post-Test" questions to determine the extent to which students understand the information
provided. Confirm answers by re-reading the corresponding text on the next page.
POST-TEST: After the information portion of the activity, ask the class:
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What is one of the most important reasons there is a law to prohibit the use of alcoholic
beverages by persons under 21 years of age?
Why do adults not sustain the same level of harm from alcohol as do children and
adolescents?
How is alcohol like other psychoactive substances?
How is alcohol different from other psychoactive substances?
What, if any, piece of information about alcohol was new to you?
What, if any, piece of information about alcohol surprised you?
What is your opinion about the use of alcohol by persons under 21?
Has your opinion changed about the use of alcohol by people under 21?
Using the handout, instruct each student to give their opinions on the five questions (allow 10
minutes). Form triads and instruct members to share their opinions with each other (allow 15
minutes). Follow with the "Discussion."
DISCUSSION: After the small group sharing activity, facilitate a class discussion using the
following questions and list the students' ideas on the board. What were some of the opinions
you shared in your small groups:
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Why are children and adolescents willing to endanger their mental and social
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development and break the law to use alcohol?
What can communities do to prevent young people from using alcohol?
What can parents do to protect their children from using alcohol?
What can young people do to protect themselves and their friends from using alcohol?
What did you say you were willing to do to?
Which question was the hardest to answer? Why?
Were you surprised by the opinions of your peers on any of the questions?
What do you think we can do as a school to stop alcohol use by students?
What is the first step?
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE DEVELOPING BRAIN
We have known for decades that exposing the developing brain to alcohol can be devastating.
Alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading known cause of mental retardation in newborns the
United States. That is why one of the warning labels on alcoholic beverages is directed to
pregnant women. We also know that the brain does not finish developing until a person is around
twenty years old. The brain of people under 21 years of age is very different from people over 21
years of age... children and adolescents are not just "little adults." Think of the brain as a
computer. It comes into the world with the basic operating systems, central nervous system,
circulatory system, respiratory system, reflexes, etc. However, it does not have all its software the programs for vision, speech, emotions, memory, abstract thinking, problem solving and
attention and concentration. The brain needs input from the five senses to build these capacities.
The brain not only grows bigger - from one pound at birth to three pounds at adulthood - but it
continues to "program" itself for 20 years, completing the development process started before
birth. During this 20-year period, the brain is creating a complete human being, who is ready to
function independently. The brain is on a schedule, with each stage of development allotted a
specific period of time for completion. If anything prevents the brain from accomplishing a
development task on its schedule, it has to skip that task. Therefore, any substance that interferes
with how the brain operates during this 20-year period of development, such as a psychoactive
(mind/mood-altering) drug, can change the course of a person's physical, mental, emotional and
social development.
Alcohol is like other psychoactive drugs in that it changes how the brain cells communicate with
each other by interfering with neurotransmitters. If we think of the brain as a computer, alcohol
and other psychoactive drugs act like computer viruses; they change, delete or scramble the code
that our computer - the brain - uses to operate. However, alcohol is different from other
psychoactive drugs; it deactivates and activates brain centers (speech, hearing, vision, fine
movements, gross movements, learning, anger, fear, pain, pleasure, hunger, etc.) at a rate no
other psychoactive drug can even approach, not cocaine, not heroine, not nicotine. For a brain
that is on a schedule, turning off brain centers - even for a short while - can be devastating. Adult
brains, which can still be harmed by use of psychoactive drugs including alcohol, do not sustain
the same level of damage because their brains have completed development.
Cynthia Kuhn, Ph.D., Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., and Wilkie Wilson, Ph.D., Buzzed: The
Straight Facts Abut the Most Used and Abused Drugs (from Alcohol to Ecstasy), Duke
University Medical Center, 1998.
Truth in Advertising
TOPIC: Alcohol
CONCEPT: Alcohol is the "drug of choice" for today's young people, and they are starting to
drink at earlier ages than ever before. It is estimated that young people see over 100,000 beer ads
before age 16, many of which use animated characters. Access to accurate information about the
risks associated with alcohol use, the role of commercials in alcohol use by youth, and
opportunities to create "counter-ads" are protective factors for teens.
OBJECTIVE: Students review facts about alcohol's effect on the developing brain and develop
factual public service (counter) ads.
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
Method: Small group activity
Time Frame: 25 minutes plus "Post Test" and "Discussion"
Material: "Truth In Advertising!" - one for each pair of students (see link below)
ACTIVITY: Print out "Truth In Advertising". Review information about the effects of alcohol on
the developing brain (see information below). Follow immediately with the "Post-Test"
questions to determine the extent to which students understand the information provided.
Confirm answers by re-reading the corresponding text on the next page.
POST-TEST: After the information portion of the activity, ask the class:
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What is the leading cause of mental retardation among infants in the US?
What is one of the most important reasons there is a law to prohibit the use of alcoholic
beverages by persons under 21 years of age?
Why do adults not sustain the same level of harm from alcohol as do children and
adolescents?
How is alcohol like other psychoactive substances?
How is alcohol different from other psychoactive substances?
When was the last time you saw or heard these facts in a commercial about alcohol?
Using the handout, instruct each student to give their opinions on the five questions (allow 10
minutes). Form triads and instruct members to share their opinions with each other (allow 15
minutes). Follow with the "Discussion."
DISCUSSION: After the small group sharing activity, facilitate a class discussion using the
following questions and list the students' ideas on the board.
What were some of the opinions you shared in your small groups:

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Why are children and adolescents willing to endanger their mental and social
development and break the law to use alcohol?
What can communities do to prevent young people from using alcohol?
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What can parents do to protect their children from using alcohol?
What can young people do to protect themselves and their friends from using alcohol?
Discuss the purpose of commercials (i.e. to sell merchandise). It is a costly, time-limited format
that must accomplish its purpose in 10 seconds to a minute. Commercials only include the
information necessary to sell the product and use popular people or cute and funny characters to
help people remember the ads. That is why there are "public service announcements" or ads that
add to or counter/oppose what is said in commercials. Form triads and instruct members to select
one fact about alcohol that commercials do not include and create a TV or radio public service
announcement (counter ad) that can be presented in one minute. (Allow 5 minutes.) Ask each
team to read and/or act out their ads.
After the presentation of the students' counter ads, facilitate a class discussion using the
following questions and list the students' ideas on the board.
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Why did you choose the fact you presented in your PSA or counter ad?
Why do you think this information is important?
Who do you think needs to know this information?
Should real counter ads or PSAs about the facts be available on TV and radio?
Who do you think should do the PSAs?
What could you and other students do to help get the word out?
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE DEVELOPING BRAIN
We have known for decades that exposing the developing brain to alcohol can be devastating.
Alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading known cause of mental retardation in newborns the
United States. That is why one of the warning labels on alcoholic beverages is directed to
pregnant women. We also know that the brain does not finish developing until a person is around
twenty years old. The brain of people under 21 years of age is very different from people over 21
years of age...children and adolescents are not just "little adults." Think of the brain as a
computer. It comes into the world with the basic operating systems, central nervous system,
circulatory system, respiratory system, reflexes, etc. However, it does not have all its software the programs for vision, speech, emotions, memory, abstract thinking, problem solving and
attention and concentration. The brain needs input from the five senses to build these capacities.
The brain not only grows bigger - from one pound at birth to three pounds at adulthood - but it
continues to "program" itself for 20 years, completing the development process started before
birth. During this 20-year period, the brain is creating a complete human being, who is ready to
function independently. The brain is on a schedule, with each stage of development allotted a
specific period of time for completion. If anything prevents the brain from accomplishing a
development task on its schedule, it has to skip that task. Therefore, any substance that interferes
with how the brain operates during this 20-year period of development, such as a psychoactive
(mind/mood-altering) drug, can change the course of a person's physical, mental, emotional and
social development.
Alcohol is like other psychoactive drugs in that it changes how the brain cells communicate with
each other by interfering with neurotransmitters. If we think of the brain as a computer, alcohol
and other psychoactive drugs act like computer viruses; they change, delete or scramble the code
that our computer - the brain - uses to operate. However, alcohol is different from other
psychoactive drugs; it deactivates and activates brain centers (speech, hearing, vision, fine
movements, gross movements, learning, anger, fear, pain, pleasure, hunger, etc.) at a rate no
other psychoactive drug can even approach, not cocaine, not heroine, not nicotine. For a brain
that is on a schedule, turning off brain centers - even for a short while - can be devastating. Adult
brains, which can still be harmed by use of psychoactive drugs including alcohol, do not sustain
the same level of damage because their brains have completed development.>
Cynthia Kuhn, Ph.D., Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., and Wilkie Wilson, Ph.D., Buzzed: The
Straight Facts Abut the Most Used and Abused Drugs (from Alcohol to Ecstasy), Duke
University Medical Center, 1998.
Reading Between the Line
TOPIC: Advertising
CONCEPT: Pressures to use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs come from many sources. One of
the most powerful pressures to use alcohol and tobacco comes from the media. The ads portray
things that young people want. Popularity, sex appeal and fun are esteemed by kids, but they can
be deceiving. The ads do not tell the truth about the effects of using alcohol and tobacco. Young
people need to learn how to analyze advertisements to tell the difference between fact and
fiction.
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
Method: Class room activity
Time Frame: 20 minutes plus "Discussion"
Material: Butcher paper, colored markers, masking tape, alcohol and cigarette ads.
ACTIVITY: Have each student bring in an alcohol or cigarette ad from a magazine. Ask several
students to volunteer to show their ads and tell the class what they see in each ad, what the ad
appears to be promising and what makes it so appealing that people want to buy the product. Ask
for additional comments from the class. Divide the class into groups of four or five, have each
group chose one alcohol ad and one cigarette ad to re-write so the ad tells the truth. They may rewrite the slogan only or re-draw the entire ad. Ask each group to show the re-write, tell about the
re-write and put it up on the wall.
DISCUSSION: After the demonstration facilitate a discussion utilizing the following questions.
Be sure to emphasize that we are all influenced by advertisements and need to be aware of how
deceptive ads may be.
Discussion ideas:
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Who do the ads seem to be targeting? Why?
How is advertising a form of pressure?
What is happening in the ad that makes students want to try the product:
How do ads mislead us?
If you buy the product will you look like or be like the people in the ads?
What should we look for when we read an advertisement?
Fumble Fingers
TOPIC: Drugs & Alcohol
CONCEPT: When a person uses any kind of a drug, it has an effect on the body. When alcohol
or another depressant-type drug is used, the body will react by slowing down its functions. When
these functions are impaired in such a manner, it becomes more difficult for a person to complete
certain tasks. This is especially true for tasks which require manual dexterity.
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
Method: Small group activity
Time Frame: 15 minutes plus "Discussion"
Material: 1 pair of gloves for each team of five, 2 chocolate Hershey Kisses for each person
(plus a few extras), and a watch with a second hand.
ACTIVITY: Divide your group into teams of five. This will be a relay race, so if your group
doesn't have equal teams, have one person on each team without five members go twice. Line the
teams up behind a starting line. Place five Hershey Kisses on a chair, a table or the floor, fifteen
feet or so in front of the starting line. All the teams will start at the same time. The object is for
each person to walk up to the kisses, unwrap one of them and eat it. They must have it
completely gone from their mouth before they leave and return to their team. When they return,
the next person leaves the starting line. You will need to time each team, record how much time
it takes each team to accomplish this task.
Now for the second round, repeat the same activity except for the fact that each person must
wear a pair of gloves, which they put on the wrong hand backwards, when they are unwrapping
the Hershey Kiss. Have them put the gloves on before they leave the starting line. Once again
record the amount of time it takes for each team to accomplish this task. Record the scores and
compare how quickly each team accomplished the task in the second round as opposed to how
quickly they finished it in the first round.
What if someone doesn't like Hershey Kisses? For their turn, have them pair up with someone
else on their team. They will both go up to the place with the kisses. The person whose turn it is
will unwrap the kiss and then their partner will eat it for them.
DISCUSSION: After the demonstration facilitate a discussion utilizing the following questions.
Be sure to emphasize that although a person may not think they are impaired after using alcohol
or other drugs their ability to perform routine tasks are impacted.
Discussion ideas:
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How difficult was it to unwrap the kiss without the gloves on?
How difficult was it to unwrap the kiss with the gloves on?
In what way did the gloves make the task harder?
Did some people find it harder than others to unwrap the candy kiss?
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How can this activity be compared to the use of alcohol and other drugs?
What activities would be harder for you to accomplish in your daily life if you were
impaired on the job?
Are some people affected by drugs to a greater degree than others? Why or why not?
Even if you don't use drugs, how can their use by others affect your life?
If you noticed someone at your school impaired by drugs, what would you do? What
would be the results of your actions?
Out of Balance
TOPIC: Drugs & Addictions
CONCEPT: There are many facets to each person's life. We are interested and involved in many
different things that make us each a unique person. When we are well rounded, we have a
number of different areas of interest, hobbies and things we like to do. This is called leading a
balanced life. When a person starts to use drugs, it can turn into an all-consuming activity. Other
things that were important now seem to take a back seat. A person's drug use takes over and
begins to control and dominate their life.
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School
Method: Class room activity
Time Frame: 30 minutes plus "Discussion"
Material: Magazines with lots of photographs, scissors, glue, construction paper, white paper,
one coat hanger for each person, string, drawing materials, cardboard.
ACTIVITY: Have each student look through magazines and cut out pictures of activities that
they like to participate in. Don't just think of sports, but include eating, reading, hobbies, etc.
They can also include places they would like to visit. Have them leave room around the picture
when they cut it out so they can make a final cut later. Now have them glue the picture on a piece
of construction paper and make the final cut. This will make the edge of the picture and the
construction paper even. After they have done this, have them attach strings to the pictures and
make a mobile out of it. To do this, they will tie the strings to the bottom part of the coat hanger.
When finished, all of their pictures will be hanging from the bottom of the coat hanger. To help
balance the mobile, they can move the photos back and forth along the bottom of the coat
hanger.
Now have them draw a poster, somewhat larger than their photos, showing some kind of drug.
This should be drawn on white paper and glued to the cardboard. Tie this drug poster to one end
of the coat hanger. The poster should be heavy enough so that it tilts the entire mobile towards
the drug picture. After the discussion time, they can remove the drug poster from their mobile.
Have them draw an "X" through the drug poster and ask them to mount it on the wall next to
where they hang their mobile.
DISCUSSION: Facilitate a discussion utilizing the following questions. Help the students realize
the impact of using drugs on their lives and that when someone continues to use they often are
not interested in anything that was important to them before they started using.
Discussion ideas:
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List the types of activities that you chose for your mobile. Why did you choose these
activities?
List the types of places that you chose for your mobile. Why did you choose these
places?
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What do we mean by living a balanced life?
What happens when we stop living a balanced life?
How can drugs create an unbalanced life?
Describe some of the things that we stop doing when drugs take over our life?
What might be some of the first things to go out of our life when drugs come in?
How can we return to a balanced life after we start using drugs?
Who or what types of people can help us return to a balanced life?