Educating Students About Drug Use and Mental Health - Catholic - Grade 9: Expectations 1 and 2

Catholic Grade 9 Overview

Expectation 1 & 2

3

4

5

1. Identify facts and myths related to the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (e.g., cannabis).

2. Explain the effects of the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Bold text between the orange lines are excerpts from Catholic Course Profile, Unit 2, Activity 1:
Exploring the Facts, Myths and Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and other Drugs

Teaching/Learning Strategy 1:

Students will do a jig-saw activity introducing myths and facts. Individual students are assigned one of the following topics:

• Facts and Myths of Tobacco
• Facts and Myths of Alcohol
• Facts and Myths of Cannabis
• Facts and Myths of Cocaine/Crack.

Each student will investigate their topic to generate a list of myths and facts and then meet with the other students assigned the same topic. Each group of students will generate a written composite list and report back to the class. Students will record the information in their books following class discussion.

Alternative Activities:

Working individually or in pairs, students will complete the Fact or Myth Quiz. Upon completion, the teacher will lead a discussion that explains each fact and corrects each myth.

Fact or Myth Quiz 
 

		FACT	MYTH
1.	Most kids in high school smoke cigarettes regularly.
2.	Drinking beer or wine will not make you as drunk as drinking hard liquor.
3.	Marijuana is less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.
4.	Tobacco kills more people each year than motor vehicle collisions, suicides, homicides and AIDS combined.
5.	Most alcoholics are bums on the street.
6.	Teenagers who use drugs often change friends.
7.	Smoking is only harmful if you smoke for a long time (20 to 30 years or more).
8.	Teenagers driving under the influence of alcohol are 400 times more likely to be involved in a fatal automobile collision than those with no alcohol in their blood.
9.	One out of every five drivers at night has been drinking; one in 25 is legally impaired.
10.	If someone passes out from drinking, it is best to let him or her sleep it off.
11.	Within two days of quitting smoking, your sense of taste and smell are greatly improved.
12.	The more you use drugs, the more you require to achieve the same effect.
13.	Alcohol affects a pregnant mother's unborn baby.
14.	Over 200 young people become smokers each day in Canada.
15.	"Raves" are large dance parties that are often associated with drug use.
16.	As long as you don't drink on an empty stomach, you won't get drunk.
17.	Chewing tobacco is less harmful and less addictive than cigarettes.
18.	One alcoholic drink doesn't affect your driving.
19.	Males use steroids more than females do.
20.	It is an equal opportunity thing - males and females react to alcohol in the same way.

Teacher Background Information:

Fact or Myth Explanation: Teacher Answer Guide

Other statistical information can be found on the listed web sites under Additional Resources.

Answers

1. Myth: According to the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey, conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in early 2005, 14% students reported smoking more than one cigarette during the past 12 months and 9% smoked daily.
2. Myth: 142 mL (5 ounces) of wine has the same alcohol as 341 mL (12 ounces) of beer or 43 mL (1.5 ounces) of hard liquor/spirits. This is known as a standard drink. (Source: Alcohol and Your Health; It's a Question of Balance, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1999.)
3. Myth: Because marijuana is smoked unfiltered, it contains more tar than a filtered cigarette. Short-term use of marijuana will impair judgment, co-ordination and concentration, thus posing risks to school/workplace safety and driving ability. Over the long term, it can do damage to the respiratory system.
4. Fact: Each year, tobacco causes four times as many deaths as motor vehicle collisions, suicides, homicides and AIDS combined. (Source: Chief Medical Officer of Health, Tobacco: Sounding the Alarm, Ontario Ministry of Health, 1994.)
5. Myth: Anyone can become an alcoholic. You can be rich or poor, any race, religion or occupation. Alcohol does not discriminate.
6. Fact: Typically, students who begin to use drugs may change their circle of friends. They often seek out others who also use drugs. Teenagers who have become regular drug users may feel guilty about their own use when they are with non-users. They feel their non-using friends are judging them or looking down on them. They may have reached a stage where they are preoccupied with drugs, and no longer have other interests in common with their previous friends. Regular use of drugs can promote a "who cares?" attitude, permitting the user (or group of users) to try risk-taking activities - their previous friends are not interested in these activities. (Adapted with permission from Challenges, Beliefs & Changes: Peer Education Program, PAD Drug Education and Support Services, 1998.)
7. Myth: The physical damage from smoking sets in almost immediately - even within a year after you start. Teen smokers cough and wheeze more. They produce more phlegm. They have lungs that are damaged and actually smaller. They have weaker hearts. They perform worse in physical fitness tests and competitive sports, and become sick and miss school more often. (From Tobacco Quiz, Toronto Public Health, York Office, 1998)
8. Fact: Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of those under 25. Those between the ages of 16 and 19 are in the most danger. One study found that older drivers (20 years and above) with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC*) of 0.15% or higher were about 100 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than those with no alcohol in their blood. But 16-19 year-olds with this BAC were 400 times more likely to die than same-aged drivers who had not been drinking. (Source: Facts About: Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving, Addiction Research Foundation, 1992.)
9. Fact: Impaired drivers kill 4.5 Canadians every day. Impaired drivers injure more than 300 Canadians every day. (From Drinking and Driving: Our National Tragedy, MADD Canada, 1997.)
10. Myth: Someone who passes out from heavy drinking could suffer from alcohol poisoning and need immediate medical attention. Alcohol poisoning can cause a stoppage of breathing and even death. Death can also occur when a person becomes unconscious and chokes on his or her own vomit.
11. Fact: Within two days of quitting smoking, the user's sense of taste and smell can be greatly improved. There are other immediate benefits of quitting. The levels of carbon monoxide and nicotine in the body go down quickly. The heart and lungs will begin to repair the damage done by smoking. The user will begin to breathe easier. The smoker's cough will begin to disappear. And the person will soon notice a boost in energy and stamina. (From Tobacco Quiz, Toronto Public Health, York Office, 1998)
12. Fact: The repeated use of alcohol and other drugs can change the body's ability to adapt to the presence of these substances.  One result is that people become less sensitive to the drug and so need to increase the dosage to obtain the desired effects.  This loss of sensitivity is called tolerance. (Alcohol and Drug Problems: A Practical Guide for Counsellors, CAMH, 3rd edition, pg. 6, 2004)
13. Fact: When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, it passes directly into the baby's bloodstream through the placenta. It is poisonous to the growing cells in the baby's body. Some of the possible adverse effects of alcohol on the developing fetus may include congenital defects of the heart, other organs and the central nervous system. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome ("FAS") is the name given to the permanent/life-long condition caused in the fetus.
14. Fact: Each day, over 200 young people become new smokers. That is more than 70,000 new smokers each year. 90% of these young people will be trapped into regular smoking that typically lasts 30 to 40 years. (From Tobacco Quiz, Toronto Public Health, York Office, 1998)
15. Fact: Raves, all-night dance parties, and electronic music are worldwide underground phenomena. The significant difference between dance clubs and raves is that raves are all-ages events, while dance clubs are restricted to those over the age of 19. Raves continue to grow in popularity among adults, young people and teens and encompass a variety of genres including Jungle, Trance, House or Techno. The distinctive electronic music and all-night dancing have resulted in a "Rave" culture associated with clothing styles and items such as baby toys. Designer or Club drugs such as ecstasy, methamphetamine, GHB (gamma hydroxy butyrate), ketamine, LSD and psilocybin may be available and/or used at raves. Efforts to increase safety at raves are underway both by authorities and by peer-based harm reduction groups.
16. Myth: Food can slow down the effects of alcohol by slowing its absorption into the bloodstream, but alcohol will still get into your bloodstream, causing intoxication. Many factors (e.g., amount consumed, gender, body size, age, type of food eaten, mood, other drugs consumed) affect the rate of alcohol absorption. Once the alcohol has passed into the blood, however, no food or beverage can slow or interfere with its effects. (Source: Facts About…., Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1997.)
17. Myth: Chewing tobacco is not a safe non-addictive alternative to cigarettes. It can cause cracked lips, bleeding gums and mouth sores that never heal. It can stain your teeth a yellowish-brown colour and give you bad breath. Worst of all, it can cause mouth cancer and other kinds of cancer. It also may play a role in heart disease and stroke. Like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco contains nicotine, and nicotine is addictive. One "dip" of smokeless tobacco can deliver as much nicotine as several cigarettes. (From Tobacco Quiz, Toronto Public Health, York Office, 1998)
18. Myth: Even after one drink, a driver may feel false confidence and take more risks at a time when skill level, judgment and reaction time are greatly reduced. This will result in a decreased ability to handle the vehicle.
19. Fact: According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Ontario Drug Use Survey (2005), males (3.2%) use steroids more than females (1.4%) to increase their levels of performance and to alter their physical stature ("bulk up").
20. Myth: Individual factors such as body mass, gender, experience, state of mind, etc., can play a part in how alcohol affects every individual. The same amount of alcohol affects a woman more than a man because women have less water in their bodies, so alcohol is less watered down in women's bodies. Alcohol also does more physical damage to women more quickly than it does to men. (Source: Women and Alcohol, AWARE and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1996 and 1999.)
    

As another option to the reflective worksheets, any of the following activities (A–E) may be used:

A) Where Do You Stand?

1. Signs are placed in four corners of the room. These signs read, "Absolutely", "No way", "Yes, but…" and "No, but…".

2. Students are asked to move to the corner of the room that best indicates their response to the following questions:

a) Alcohol and tobacco are the most dangerous drugs.

b) Marijuana should be made legal.

c) Smoking should be allowed on school property.

d) Drug use is a normal part of growing up.

e) You can use drugs without becoming addicted.

3. Emphasize to students:

• They are expressing opinions, not right or wrong answers.
• They may change their mind and move to another position.

4. Once students are in corners, allow time (3 to 5 minutes) for a brief discussion for students to discuss reasons for their choices. Discussion can happen in small groups, with a group representative sharing some points with the whole class.

Hot Tips for Teachers to Guide Debrief

a) Alcohol and tobacco are the most dangerous drugs.
Issues to be raised: amount consumed, short-term vs. long-term effects, risks taken while under the influence, illegal vs. legal products.

b) Marijuana should be made legal.
Issues to be raised: decriminalization of cannabis possession, medical uses, alternate legal control frameworks for cannabis possession, recreational use.

c) Smoking should be allowed on school property.
Issues to be raised: safety of students, litter and loitering in public places, underage students smoking, supervision of smoking areas.

d) Drug use is a normal part of growing up.
Issues to be raised: experimentation, legality, right vs. wrong, pressures and influences such as peers, family, media.

e) You can use drugs without becoming addicted.
Issues to be raised: physiological vs. psychological addiction, frequency, purpose, drug use continuum.

B) Draw a Drug User

Students are divided into four groups. Each group is given a sheet of flipchart paper and a set of markers and told to draw a drug user. Each person is expected to participate, even if only one draws.

Each group presents their picture to the other groups. As an alternative, students may brainstorm words or make a collage from magazine cut-outs to depict their image of a drug user.

Hot Tips for Teachers to Guide Debrief

Discuss the stereotypes present in the pictures. Give the general definition of the term "drug". Discuss what is not shown in the pictures (e.g., coffee or alcohol, elderly people, females, businessmen). Be sure to emphasize there is no stereotypical "image" of a drug user. See background information from Myth 5 (Facts & Myths).

C) Use reflective worksheet questions for small group discussion starters.

D) Use reflective worksheet questions to interview a partner.

E) Use the Student Reflective Worksheet as small group discussion starters.

Student Reflective Worksheet

1. Parties without alcohol are:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

2. To me, the difference between drug use and drug abuse is:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

3. Coming to school stoned is:

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

4. Hearing someone brag about drinking at a party is:

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

5. When my friends are smoking, I:

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

6. One thing I don't believe about drugs is:

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

7. A law concerning drugs I would like to see changed is:

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

8. One thing I would like to learn about drugs is:

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

 

Teaching/Learning Strategy 2:

Provide students with a handout indicating the effects of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Students will design a poster based on the effect(s) of one of these substances. Time will be given in class to commence the poster assignment and will be completed as a homework assignment.

 

(Adapted with permission from PAD Drug Education and Support Services.)

 

Teacher Background Information:

Cannabis

Description:

• Marijuana comes from the dried tops, leaves, stems and seeds of the cannabis plant, which somewhat resembles oregano. It is smoked in pipes or in "joints".
• Hashish is a dried, caked resinous substance found as soft or hard chunks, usually mixed with tobacco and smoked.
• Hash oil is an oily extract, usually stored in small glass vials. It is the third most popular drug used by youth. The active drug is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
• Hashish and hash oil are more concentrated than marijuana.

Other Names:

marijuana, hashish, hash, hash oil, THC, pot, ragweed, dope, ace, Colombian, Mary Jane, spliff, hemp, weed, Thai sticks, ganja, "J" or jay, B.T., grass, reefer, roach

Short-Term Effects:

Person will get a "high feeling", and become more relaxed and talkative. The person's pulse rate, heartbeat and blood pressure will rise. Eyes may get red. After a while, the person will become quiet and sleepy. Short-term memory, concentration, and ability to think clearly will be impaired. With larger doses, the person may feel that sounds and colours are sharper or distorted. In a very large dose, the person may become confused, restless, excited, may hallucinate. It can be used to control pain and nausea for some medical ailments, e.g., chemotherapy, AIDS.

Long-Term Effects:

Regular, heavy use will make the person dependent on the drug. The person may lose interest in activities. The ability to learn new information is decreased. Problems with memory may develop. The person may also get infections more easily because of harm to the immune system. The person may develop chronic bronchitis, throat cancer, heart attack, stroke, and blood pressure complications.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• Buying, selling, using or possessing cannabis is illegal.
• Special permission can be given through the courts for use and possession for medical purposes.

(Adapted from A Parent & Community Handbook, 4^th Edition, Parents Against Drugs (PAD) Toronto, 1999.) (PAD is also known as PAD Drug Education and Support Services.)

 

Alcohol

Description:

• It is the most commonly used drug.
• It is a depressant that slows down the activity of the central nervous system.
• It is made through the fermentation of fruits and/or grains.

Other Names:

beer, brew, suds, wine, vino, spirits, booze, grog, hooch, moonshine

Short-Term Effects:

At first, the person feels more relaxed and less inhibited. The person will not be able to think as clearly, and judgment and decision-making will be affected. The person's reflexes will become slower; he or she will have trouble working and doing anything that requires any physical and mental co-ordination. The person's mood may change; he or she may become angry or take more risks. If the person drinks a large amount of alcohol on a single occasion (binge drinking), the breathing system may slow down seriously or even stop, causing death (alcohol poisoning). The effects of alcohol may increase if combined with certain other drugs. Short-term effects are intensified with binge drinking. Hangover may occur (discomfort the next day due to rebound excitation of an alcohol-depressed nervous system). Symptoms include headache, low blood sugar levels, dehydration and irritation of the lining of the digestive system.

Long-Term Effects:

A person who drinks heavily on a regular basis may develop:

• inflamed stomach or pancreas
• cirrhosis of the liver
• certain cancers of the gastrointestinal tract
• heart disease; high blood pressure
• brain and nerve damage.

In men, especially, the production of sex hormones will decrease.

In pregnant women, prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) (facial abnormalities, growth deficiencies and damage to the central nervous system, which can result in developmental delays, learning disabilities, hyperactivity and memory deficits).

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

The legal age to consume or purchase alcohol is 19. Other legal issues include:

• liquor consumed in a place other than residence
• intoxication in public places
• selling liquor without a license
• transporting alcohol
• alcohol given to a minor in the family home by the parent
• liability issues regarding home hosting and social hosting in other locations.

(Adapted from A Parent & Community Handbook, 4^th Edition, Parents Against Drugs (PAD) Toronto, 1999.) (Parent Against Drugs (PAD) is known as PAD Drug Education and Support Services.)

 

Tobacco

Description:

• It consists of the crushed and dried leaves of the tobacco plant.
• It is the second most popular drug.
• The nicotine in tobacco is largely responsible for the short-term effects of smoking and its addictive nature.

Other Names:

cigarettes, smokes, sticks, butts

Short-Term Effects:

The person's pulse rate and blood pressure will rise. The person's skin will become cooler. The amount of acid in the stomach will increase. The amount of urine produced will decrease. Activity in the person's brain and nervous system will speed up first, then slow down. The person's appetite decreases. The person will be less capable of vigorous physical activity.

Long-Term Effects:

Blood vessels in the heart and brain will narrow or darken. The person will be short of breath and cough often. Infections in the lungs, such as pneumonia, are more likely. Chronic bronchitis or emphysema may develop. Cancer of the lungs, mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney or pancreas is more likely. Stomach ulcers may develop. The skin ages prematurely. A pregnant woman who smokes is more likely to have a premature baby, or one with a lower birth weight. A woman smoker who takes birth control pills is more likely to develop blood clots and also increases her risk for heart attack and stroke. Hands get stained.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• There is no penalty for smoking under 19 in Ontario because there is no legal age to smoke.
• It is illegal to sell or supply tobacco to a person under 19 years of age in Ontario.
• Smoking is prohibited on ALL school property (up to $1000 fine for first conviction).

(Adapted from A Parent & Community Handbook, 4^th Edition, Parents Against Drugs (PAD) Toronto, 1999.) (Parents Against Drugs (PAD) is known as PAD Drug Education and Support Services.)

 

Opiates (Opioids, Narcotics)

Description:

• Opiates include natural substances, such as drugs from the opium poppy, and opiate-related synthetic drugs such as meperidine (Demerol®), codeine and methadone.
• Technically, the term opiates should be used to refer only to drugs of natural origin.
• They are used medically for the relief of pain.

Other Names:

junk, horse, smack, H., shit, skag (heroin), M, morph, Miss Emma (morphine), Meth (methadone), Percs (Percodan/Percocet®), Juice (dilaudid).

This family of drugs is frequently referred to as narcotic analgesics or narcotics.

Short-Term Effects:

The higher centres of the brain get briefly stimulated but then the central nervous system gets depressed. There is an initial surge of pleasure or a rush. Restlessness, nausea, vomiting and dry mouth may develop. There is a warm feeling in the body and extremities will feel heavy. User will go "on the nod" - a state where the user is in and out of consciousness. Breathing becomes slower. Pupils contract to pinpoints. Skin is cold, moist and bluish. Profound respiratory depression can result in death. Overdose potential is high.

Long-Term Effects:

A person who uses opiates may experience:

• infections from unsterilized needles, including infection of the heart lining and valves, HIV and AIDS, abscesses, cellulitis, liver disease and brain damage
• depressed respiration in overdose
• dependence
• withdrawal symptoms upon stopping drug.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• Some opiates can and are used legally in Canada under the supervision of a qualified physician.
• Illicit opioids and the misuse of prescription opiates are illegal in Canada with regard to: possession, trafficking, production, possession for the purpose of trafficking, production, importing or exporting and prescription shopping.

(Adapted from the Do You Know… and Facts About… Series, from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto.)

 

Solvents and Aerosols/Inhalants

Description:

• Solvents and aerosols are substances that were never intended to be used as drugs.
• They are manufactured by the chemical industry to be used in all sorts of products, such as gasoline, shoe polish, paint removers, model airplane glue, nail polish remover, spray deodorants, hairsprays and insecticides. These are only a few of the hundreds of products that contain solvents and aerosols.

Other Names:

glue, gas, sniff

Short-Term Effects:

Feelings of euphoria occur that are characterized by lightheadedness, exhilaration and vivid fantasies. Nausea and drooling can develop. Sneezing and coughing can occur. There is a loss of muscular co-ordination. Reflexes are slow. The person is sensitive to light. Death from suffocation or heat failure and permanent brain damage could occur with one use.

Long-Term Effects:

Physical effects such as pallor, thirst, weight loss, nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes, and sores on the nose and mouth occur. There is interference with the formation of blood cells in bone marrow. Liver and kidney function is impaired. Mental confusion and fatigue may occur. Depression, irritability, hostility, paranoia may occur. Mental function is severely impaired due to brain damage. Lack of motor co-ordination and tremors may develop. Lead poisoning may develop.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• The possession or use of solvent and aerosols is not prohibited under federal or provincial law.

(Adapted from the Do You Know… and Facts About… Series, from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, 1997 & 2000.)

 

Caffeine

Description:

• It is derived from any of a number of plants, including coffee, tea, cocoa and some nuts.
• It is the most widely used drug in the world, mainly because caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate.

Other Names:

none in common use

Short-Term Effects:

It may elevate mood, while reducing feelings of drowsiness and fatigue. Larger doses may cause irritability, restlessness, nervousness and insomnia. It constricts blood vessels and increases heart rate and blood pressure. It increases the amount of urine produced. It increases the production of gastric juices. It increases the likelihood of birth defects in pregnant women.

Long-Term Effects:

Daily use in low to moderate doses does not appear to produce any harmful effects. Large daily doses (250 mg/day) may cause restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, gastrointestinal disturbances, muscle twitching, abnormally rapid and irregular heartbeat and periods of inexhaustibility and agitation.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• There are no laws against consumption or purchase.
• It is identified as a restricted substance by the International Olympic Committee. When the restricted level of consumption is surpassed, it is considered to be a performance-enhancing drug.

(Adapted from Drugs and Drug Abuse, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), formerly the Addiction and Research Foundation (ARF), Toronto, 1998.)

 

Cocaine (Crack)

Description:

• Cocaine is a powerful drug that stimulates or speeds up the body's central nervous system.
• Cocaine may be snorted, injected or converted to a freebase form that is smoked. Freebase cocaine has been purified by heating with ether, and is taken by inhaling the fumes or smoking the residue. The conversion process to freebase is dangerous because some of the chemicals used can easily catch fire.
• Crack cocaine is an extremely potent freebase form of the drug, which is usually smoked.
• Cocaine is a fine white powder; Crack is usually whitish-yellow chunks or "rocks".

Other Names:

"C", coke, flake, snow, stardust, blow, nose candy, rock, ice

Short-Term Effects:

Appetite will decrease. The person will have more energy and will not get tired easily. The person will feel more alert but actually is not. Breathing will speed up. Heart rate and blood pressure will increase, and the person will be at greater risk of stroke, heart attack and angina. The person's pupils will be enlarged. The person may act bizarre or violent. The person may experience paranoid psychosis. The person may experience a seizure (convulsion).

Long-Term Effects:

If cocaine is sniffed, the nose tissues will be damaged. The person may be undernourished. The person may get infections more easily. It is highly addictive. With continued use, tolerance develops and more of the drug is needed to get the same effect. With increased tolerance comes increased risk of overdose. There is a risk of HIV infection if injected. The person may experience paranoid psychosis (may be irreversible).

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• Possession/buying, possession for trafficking, trafficking, production, importing and exporting are all illegal.
• Paraphernalia possession can also be used in legal charges (e.g., scales).

(Adapted from A Parent & Community Handbook, 4^th Edition, Parents Against Drugs (PAD), Toronto, 1999.) (Parents Against Drugs (PAD) is known as PAD Drug Education and Support Services.)

 

Ecstasy (MDMA, methylenedioxymethamphetamine)

Description:

• It is a psychoactive drug with hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like effects.
• It has no approved medical use.
• It is sold in tablet or gelatin capsule form. It is taken orally in doses of 50 to 200 mg. It is also sold in powder form, or the tablets may be crushed and then snorted.
• Ecstasy comes in different shapes, sizes, and colours depending on who is making it. It is produced through chemical synthesis, mostly in illicit laboratories, and is often called a "Designer Drug".
• Ecstasy's use has been associated with young people who attend "Raves". Recently, it has also gained popularity among urban professionals at nightclubs.

Other Names:

E, XTC, Adam and Mitsubishi

Short-Term Effects:

Scientific evidence shows that earlier claims of ecstasy as a "safe drug" are unfounded. In low to moderate doses, it produces a mild intoxication, a strong sense of pleasure and feelings of euphoria, increased sense of sociability or closeness with others, enhanced communication skills and increased energy and confidence. Users may also experience an increase in sweating, increased blood pressure and heart rate, nausea, grinding of the teeth, jaw pain, anxiety or panic attacks, blurred vision, vomiting, insomnia, paranoia and convulsions. Higher doses of ecstasy may intensify the negative effects and may produce a distortion in perception, thinking or memory. It also may produce psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, and long-lasting bouts of anxiety or depression. There is a potential for strong negative effects and psychiatric complications that may last for days or weeks.

Additional Effects:

Ecstasy can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature. Young people attending all-night raves sometimes over-exert themselves while dancing. Combine this with the heat, heavier sweating, and failure to drink enough fluids, and there is substantial increased risk of harm associated with the drug's use. There have been several fatal incidents associated with ecstasy use. Deaths have occurred from kidney or cardiovascular failure induced by a very high body temperature and dehydration.

Long-Term Effects:

In animal studies, nerve damage has been well documented. In humans, some seritonin nerve damage causing memory and learning problems has been shown. More information is needed on how much or how often ecstasy needs to be ingested before the user develops problems or experiences a serious adverse effect. There are reports of weight loss, confusion, irritability, depression, paranoia, psychosis and exhaustion. Reactions may be severe and unpredictable. Jaundice and liver damage have been reported.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• It is a controlled substance under Section 3 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
• It is prohibited for sale in Canada.

(Adapted from Information Bulletin — Ecstasy, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2000.)

 

GHB (Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate)

Description:

• GHB is produced naturally in the human body in small amounts. When taken in larger amounts and especially when taken in combination with alcohol or other drugs, GHB can be extremely dangerous.
• In its liquid form, it looks and smells like water and has a slightly salty or solvent taste that can be easily masked.
• It is also available as a white powder or capsule.
• Drugs may be taken by choice to heighten sensuality and tactile responses.

Other Names:

known as a "date-rape" drug, grievous bodily harm, liquid ecstasy, liquid X, easy lay, "G."

Short-Term Effects:

GHB is a central nervous system depressant, slowing down breathing and heart rate and making the user sleepy. The fine line between a low and a high dose means it's easy to take too much or to overdose. Too much GHB may cause nausea and vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, amnesia and vertigo. A higher dose may cause a deep coma-like sleep. The person may vomit while sleeping and choke. An extreme GHB overdose can result in depressed breathing, a lowered heart rate, loss of consciousness, seizures, coma and even death.

Long-Term Effects:

Because very little research has been done in this area, the long-term effects are unknown at this time. However, it is known that regular use of GHB can cause physical dependence. Stopping abruptly can result in anxiety, tremors, inability to sleep and other unpleasant, potentially dangerous side effects, including paranoia with hallucination and high blood pressure.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• It is not legally available in Canada.
• Buying, selling, using or possessing is illegal.

(Adapted from Do you know … GHB (Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, 2000.)

Rohypnol

Description:

• Rohypnol® is the brand name of flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine medication with sedative effects.
• This drug has been secretly given to an individual to make that person less able to resist sexual assault.
• Since 1999, tablets have been made so that they dissolve more slowly in liquid, turning clear beverages bright blue and turning darker beverages murky, making the drug much easier to detect.
• When mixed with alcohol or other drugs, the effects are increased and can be fatal.
• Drugs may be taken by choice to heighten sensuality and tactile responses.

Other Names:

known as a "date-rape" drug, roofies, roachies, La Rocha, forget pill, pastaa, peanuts, ruffies, ropes, pappas, ro-shays, robinal

Short-Term Effects:

Depending on the amount taken, the person may feel anything from relaxed and calm, to drowsy and clumsy, to unconscious. Users can appear "drunk", having reduced inhibition and judgment, slurred speech, weakness and staggering, dizziness, confusion and severe drowsiness. Effects are intensified when combined with alcohol and often result in lack of memory, dizziness and periods of blackout from eight to 24 hours. Sedation begins in about 30 minutes, peaks within two hours, and lasts for about eight hours.

Long-Term Effects:

Long-term use can cause dependence. A withdrawal syndrome is caused by abrupt discontinuation.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• It is not legally available in Canada.
• It is illegal to possess, traffic, import or produce Rohypnol®.

(Adapted from Do you know… Rohypnol, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, 2000. Adapted from A Parent & Community Handbook, 4^th Edition, Parents Against Drugs (PAD) Toronto, 1999. (Parents Against Drugs (PAD) is known as PAD Drug Education and Support Services), and Sexual Assault Treatment Program (SATP), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.)

 

Ketamine

Description:

• Ketamine is a fast-acting anaesthetic and painkiller used primarily in veterinary surgery, and also in other medical procedures.
• Ketamine has been used to incapacitate unsuspecting victims to prevent them resisting sexual assault.
• It usually comes in a liquid form, but it is also found as a white powder or pill. The liquid is added to drinks or injected, usually into a muscle. The powder is mixed into drinks or snorted or smoked with marijuana or tobacco.

Other Names:

known as a "date-rape" drug, special K, K, vitamin K, baby food, kit kat, ketalar, ketaset

Short-Term Effects:

Its effects are usually felt between one and 10 minutes of taking the drug. The effect depends on how much is taken. Like all anesthetics, it prevents the user from feeling pain and may cause vomiting. Eating or drinking before taking the drug increases the risk of choking on vomit. In lower doses, users may feel sleepy, distracted, withdrawn, confused and have a distorted perception of time and body. At higher does, the user can become uncoordinated, may babble or chant, and experience temporary amnesia and hallucinations. At very high doses, ketamine slows down the beating of the heart, meaning less oxygen gets to the brain and muscles. As well, unconsciousness and even death may occur. If used regularly, the user becomes more tolerant to the effects of the drug.

Long-Term Effects:

Long-term effects are unknown at this time.

Legal Status/Consequences (in Canada):

• Legally, ketamine is available only to veterinarians and doctors for medical use.
• Illegally, ketamine is stolen or diverted and is sold on the street or in clubs for recreational use.
• Buying, selling, using or possessing it for this purpose is illegal.

(Adapted from Do you know… Ketamine, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, 2000.)

Additional Activity:

What Drug Am I?

1. Prepare cards with names of drugs. Add additional drugs if desired (based on local need).

2. Participants have the name of a drug taped to their back. Each person tries to guess "what drug they are wearing” by asking questions to which others can only answer Yes or No. Students may ask any questions. Examples are listed below:

• Am I swallowed, injected, snorted, smoked?
• Am I legal/illegal?
• Am I an upper, a downer, a painkiller or a hallucinogen?
• Am I taken at parties, at raves, on my own, with others?
  (Questions on flipchart paper)
   

cocaine/crack	tobacco
caffeine	alcohol
inhalants	ecstasy
cannabis	steroids
LSD

 

Teaching/Learning Strategy 3:

A teacher directed discussion will take place which will allow students to develop a poster rubric. Some categories may include Originality, Creativity, Appearance, and Content.

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