Drugs Alcohol PC Jane Commins What Is A

Drugs & Alcohol PC Jane Commins

What Is A Drug? Any substance that has an effect on your mind or body.

Remember. . Medicines are drugs too.

Medicines How can you get medicines? Prescribed by the doctor From the chemist From supermarket

How Can Medicines Be Taken? Drops Ointments Syringes Tablets Liquids Inhalers

What Are Medicines Used For? • To prevent illness – vaccinations • To ease pain • To lower temperature • To help the body fight illness – antibiotics • To help the body work properly or better – Insulin, asthma inhalers

Can Medicines Be Dangerous? • If you take someone else’s medicine • If you take too much of a medicine • If you take a medicine to often • If you take a medicine that makes you feel ill when you take it

Legal Drugs That Aren’t Medicines

What Is Alcohol? Alcohol reaches the brain within five minutes of being swallowed. Alcohol slows down the activity in your brain. The lighter your body weight, the greater the effects are.

The Dangers Of Drinking…. • Fall over and injury yourself or be admitted to hospital due to alcohol poisoning. • Get into fights and arguments. • May make decisions that put you at risk e. g. get into someone's car who has been drinking or walk home alone etc. • May not be able to take care of yourself putting yourself at risk.

And More. . Long term heavy/binge drinking Alcoholism. Stomach and liver damage. Obesity. Brain damage. Risk of cancers. Memory loss and blackouts. Mood swings and personality changes. Visual hallucinations. Death.

Government Guidelines The healthiest option for young people is not to drink any amount of alcohol. • Under 15 - Children should not drink alcohol. • 15 -17 -years-olds - should only drink small amounts infrequently, definitely no more than once a week, and only when they’re supervised by a parent or other adult. • Young people should be aware that drinking, even at age 15 or older, can be dangerous to their health.

Tobacco • You can get addicted to nicotine within days of first using it. • Other health risks include short-term effects of smoking such as coughing and throat irritation.

More…. • Over time, more serious conditions may develop, including increases in heart rate and blood pressure, bronchitis, emphysema and many forms of cancer.

Illegal Drugs • If a drug isn’t prescribed by a doctor or you can’t buy it from a chemist, then it is illegal. • It’s illegal because if taken it will cause a person harm. • Most illegal drugs are addictive so are extremely difficult to stop taking once started.

Risks? • potential harm that may arise from a future event e. g ……? Is taking a risk a good or bad thing? • We all take risks, if we didn’t we would not be able to do much in life. It is sometimes very difficult to decide whether to take a risk. • Therefore risks need to be considered carefully.

Consider… • Know the dangers involved • Think carefully about what you want to do and what you should do • Don’t let other people persuade you to do things you don’t want to do • Think about where you are, who else is there and what could go wrong • Think about how what you do could affect other people.

WHAT IS IT • How will it affect me? • Will it make me sick? • Do I know the person who is offering it to me? • What will happen if I refuse. • What are they telling me it is? • Why are they offering it to me? • What do I think it is? • What would mum or dad say if they found out? • If in doubt say ‘NO’

SAYING NO TO DRUGS & ALCOHOL • Say ‘NO’ and mean ‘NO’ • Look the person in the eye, stand up straight with your head up and say ‘NO’ firmly. • Keep saying no repeatedly. • Don’t get into an argument • Avoid the person or place. • Think positively you are a good person.

How Does It Start? Many people are offered drugs by their friends or by people they know. This can put them under greater pressure to say yes.

Peer Pressure • How would you deal with peer pressure? What could you say? Examples: • ‘NO, I won’t take the risk’; • ‘NO, it’s stupid’; • ‘NO, you’re not much of a friend if you say that’; ‘NO, I’m going’. • Remember it is important to put a very strong ‘NO’ as the first word.

Why Do We Have Laws? Ø To protect us from harm. Ø To help us know what’s right and wrong. Ø To ensure fairness. Ø To make sure people can live together safely and peacefully.

Drugs & the Law

ILLEGAL DRUGS Possessing these drugs is a criminal offence Class A 7 years possession Life Supply/Intent Class B 5 years Possession 14 years Supply/Intent Class C 2 years Possession 14 years Supply/Intent

1. At lunchtime you find a syringe in the playground? 2. A friend offers you a cigarette on the bus?

3. You are at a friend’s house and her parents have gone out for an hour. She goes to the drinks cupboard and takes down cans of cider and suggests you drink one each.

Need Help? If you are concerned about any situation – whether it is a friend, who you think is taking drugs or that you have seen used syringes in the park …. . Tell an adult you trust.

If You Have Any Information About A Crime, Call. . Any Questions?