Educating Students about Drug Use and Mental Health - Grade 9: Expectation 2

Grade 9  Overview

Exp 1

2

3

4

5

Explain the effects of the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (e.g., cannabis).

Bold text between the orange lines are excerpts from Grade 9 Healthy Active Living Education Course Profile, Unit 3, Activities 4 & 5.

Teaching/Learning Strategy 5:

Use a jigsaw strategy to investigate the short and long-term effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and their legal status. Include short-term effects, long-term effects and legal status (Canada) as headings on a worksheet.

Each student will investigate a drug, use the worksheet to guide their learning in the expert group and report back to the home group. Students should research the following drugs: alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, caffeine, opiates/solvents and crack/cocaine. The teacher may choose to include additional drugs as determined by community needs (e.g., date-rape drugs).

Students should use resources provided by the teacher or what is available in the classroom or library to research their topic. Students will need to take notes as their peers present their findings. Part of this activity should include an opportunity for students to reflect on how the new information/learning disproves myths about drug use/abuse.

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, 4th 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):

• legal age to consume or purchase alcohol is 19
• consume liquor 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, 4th 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", 4th 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.
• This family of drugs is frequently referred to as narcotic analgesics or narcotics.

Other Names:

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

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), Toronto, 1998.)

Cocaine (Crack)

Description:

• a powerful drug that stimulates or speeds up the body's central nervous system.
• 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, 4th 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, 4th 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:

• a fast-acting anaesthetic and painkiller used primarily in veterinary surgery, and also in other medical procedures.
• 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 Resources

There are some additional resources listed on this site. You may also check with your local school board, public health office or call the central information numbers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health:

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