Understanding drugs. Teacher s guide for key stage 3

Transcription

1 Understanding drugs Teacher s guide for key stage 3

2 DRUGS INFORMATION

3 Contents Introduction 04 Lesson ideas and activities 06 Guide to the CD ROM 27 Background and context of drug education 28 Drug use and young people prevalence figures 30 Appendix 1: Content of and progression in drug education 32 Appendix 2: Further information sources 33 CONTENTS Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 03

4 Introduction Welcome! This pack provides up-to-date information for pupils and teachers on a range of drugs, as well as a selection of ideas for teaching and learning. It has been devised to support drug education in schools with key stage 3 pupils. It is part of the government s national campaign to highlight to young people that cannabis use is harmful to health and illegal; and to contribute to achieving the national strategy to reduce young people s drug use. (For more on the campaign see Both these documents can be found on the CD ROM which forms part of this pack. Understanding drugs is NOT a complete drug education programme. For more comprehensive information and guidance on drug education and other drug-related issues, see Drugs: Guidance for schools (DfES, 2004) and for a fuller range of classroom lesson activities, see Drugs, alcohol and tobacco education: Curriculum guidance for schools at key stages 1-4 (QCA, 2003). Who this pack is for? This pack is for teachers of key stage 3 and also for those professionals supporting classroom work at this level. It is intended for use in schools and pupil referral units, but could also be used in out-of-school settings. INTRODUCTION If you would like to know more about Blueprint see: young-people/blueprint/ How was the pack developed? The pack is based on several existing sources, principally the Qualifi cation and Curriculum Authority s (QCA) Drug, alcohol and tobacco education: Curriculum guidance for schools at key stages 1-4 (see CD ROM in this pack), and the principles used in the development of Blueprint, the government s school-based drug education research programme for key stage 3. It also draws on materials from the PSHE in practice (secondary schools resource book) (DfES, 2004), available online: Every care has been taken in the preparation of the information contained in this pack. However, the content of the pack is not intended to be either comprehensive or exhaustive. Teachers and others using the pack should also be aware that knowledge about drugs and their effects can change, and that the law on drugs is also subject to change. They should therefore ensure that they have the most comprehensive and current information by using the pack in conjunction with other sources, such as those listed and referred to in the pack. 04 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

5 What is in the pack? The pack contains four components 1. This Teacher s Guide 2. Drug Information Booklet for Teachers 3. Pupil s Booklet 4. CD ROM Further information For further information on what should be covered in drug education at key stage 3, see appendix 1 (p32) for an extract from Content of and progression within drug education (QCA, 2003). See p28 for an introduction to the background and context of drug education, and also PSHE in practice (secondary school version), available on TeacherNet. Order information Complete copies of this pack and extra copies of the Pupil s Booklet can be ordered online from or from DfES publications (contact details are listed on the outside back cover), using the following reference numbers: Understanding drugs: Drug education pack for schools (KS3) Ref: BKT-EN Understanding drugs: Your guide to knowing more about the risks and effects of drugs Ref: LEF-EN Download information The teacher elements of this pack can be downloaded from Search using ref: BKT-EN 1. Teacher s Guide In this Teacher s Guide, you will fi nd teaching and learning ideas which you may wish to incorporate into your school s existing drug education programme. It also includes some key background information. 2. Drug Information Booklet for Teachers The Teacher s Booklet is supplemented by the Drug Information Booklet, which contains detailed information on a range of drugs, as well as information on the law, to help you answer pupils questions. 3. Pupil s Booklet The Pupil s Booklet (Understanding drugs: Your guide to knowing more about the risks and effects of drugs) contains information about a range of drugs that young people at key stage 3 are most likely to hear about or to come into contact with. It also contains key information on the law, and what to do in an emergency. It is designed for use with pupils throughout key stage 3. To maximise the learning, the Pupil s Booklet is best distributed through structured lessons. The lesson activities within the Teacher s Guide include ideas about how the information in the Pupil s Booklet can be incorporated into your teaching. It is important that every pupil is given a copy to keep, and that they are helped to access the information it contains. One copy is included in this pack for your reference, but multiple copies of the Pupil s Booklet are available to order (see left). 4. CD ROM The CD ROM includes all elements of the Understanding drugs pack for you to print out and use in the classroom. The photographs in the Drug Information Booklet have also been included separately, for you to use in a classroom setting only. A number of additional documents related to drugs and drug education are also included on the CD ROM. For a complete listing and ideas on how to use the CD ROM, see p27. The CD ROM also includes a template letter to parents which can be adapted for use by your school, and a link to an online feedback form. INTRODUCTION Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 05

6 Lesson ideas and activities The following pages contain a range of ideas and activities that you could use within your drug education programme at key stage 3. They cover a variety of topics and are based on teaching and learning techniques that have been researched and tested for effectiveness. They are not lesson plans in themselves and will need to be used in a planned way to meet the needs of pupils in each class. Some of the lesson activities are intended to be used in conjunction with the Pupil s Booklet that is part of this pack. Pupils should be encouraged to use the booklets to fi nd out information about drugs and the risks associated with drug use, and to keep the booklets for future use. The activities are divided into years year 7, year 8 and year 9. However, teachers may wish to use or adapt an activity from one year for use with another year group, to meet individual needs. The activities are related to the QCA s end of key stage statements, and these can form the basis of assessment. For a brief refresher on the guiding principles of good drug education, see pp LESSON IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES 06 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

7 LESSON IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 07

8 Lesson ideas - Introduction Pupil s Booklet symbol This symbol indicates use of the Pupil s Booklet. This section contains a number of teaching and learning ideas. They are not complete lesson plans it s up to you to pick and choose how you use them. Although year groups are suggested, you can modify the activities and use them with any year group, according to their ability. There are starter, main and review and refl ect activities for each year group. Some activities specifi cally involve use of the Pupil s Booklet (which should be handed out to each pupil in key stage 3) and these are indicated by a symbol (see left column). The activities are numbered within each year group for ease of reference only, and not to imply a sequence or progression. If you want to incorporate these lesson ideas into your drug education programme don t forget three key principles: 1. The importance of working within the context of a group agreement. The purpose of a group agreement is to establish ground rules for appropriate ways to behave when discussing sensitive issues, as well as to ensure clear boundaries about personal disclosures. 2. The need to cover the four main constituents of good drug education in your teaching strategies: Increasing knowledge and understanding Developing skills Exploring attitudes and values See the key stage 3 extract from Content of and progression within drug education, from Drugs: Guidance for schools (DfES, 2004). 3. The importance of using active learning methods see p29 of this Teacher s Guide for further information. LESSON IDEAS INTRODUCTION 08 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

9 Year 7 Starter activities Before beginning any lesson, remind pupils of ground rules/ group agreement. If one has not yet been developed do it now. Teacher s notes The focus of this activity is thinking about where we get our information about drugs. Working within a group agreement should help to minimise any inappropriate disclosure. However, it is worthwhile thinking through how you would handle any inappropriate disclosure. Some of the issues raised by pupils might help the planning of future lessons. 1. Where has our information about drugs come from? This introductory activity can be used to provide the teacher with a rough baseline of pupils knowledge and experiences. Defi ne what drugs are i.e. a substance which changes the way people think, feel or behave. Remind pupils that everyone will have different experiences and levels of knowledge. Pupils form groups of two or three. Tell them that they will be asked to feed back from their groups in a plenary discussion. Ask them to discuss if: They have ever talked to a parent, carer or other adult about drugs. What did they talk about? They have ever talked with their friends or brothers or sisters about drugs. What did they talk about? They have heard or seen information about drugs in the news, in magazines or on the internet. What did they discover? In a plenary, draw out a variety of points, such as: Different things they have learned Different people they have talked to and what they have talked about Different media messages about drugs. 2. What is a drug? Use a brainstorm activity to ask the class what they think the term drug means. Encourage pupils to try to defi ne the word, rather than just naming drugs. Hold a discussion and try to reach a consensus if this is achieved then record the group s defi nition. Explain that the most comprehensive, accepted defi nition is: a substance which people take to change the way they feel, think or behave. This is the defi nition of a drug given by the United Nations. This defi nition substantiates the inclusion of both legal and illegal drugs. Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. YEAR 7 STARTER ACTIVITIES 09

10 Year 7 Starter activities continued Teacher s notes The teacher may feel that they need to be an expert on the various names and types of drugs that might arise in any discussion. It is important to be clear that both teacher and pupils together can research any information or questions that need answers. This could be raised before the start by the teacher including it as a feature of the group agreement. Ask the pupils to discuss the following points in their groups: What substances might the UN defi nition include? What would not be included? What is included that has surprised you? [This might draw out the inclusion of legal or restricted drugs, prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and help widen the focus from illegal drugs such as cannabis] What forms could a drug come in? [E.g. a pill, a liquid, leaf, powder] How might you take it? [Smoked as in a cigarette or cannabis joint, or spliff, swallowed as a liquid or a pill, inhaled as a gas, sniffed as a powder, injected as a liquid or suspension] What effects do drugs have? How might they change the way a person feels, thinks or behaves? [They might feel better, quieter, or livelier; they might think they are safe to drive when they are not; they might feel sleepy; they may want to dance all night; or they may talk a lot or appear more confi dent.] They can refer to their Pupil s Booklet for a summary. See the four categories diagram in the Drug Information Booklet, p Thinking about the effects of drugs Ask pupils to think about the effects that drugs can have, and to come up with different words for headings they could be placed under. Stimulants ( uppers ), depressants ( downers ), hallucinogens (make things appear different), painkillers, prescribed and over-the-counter drugs. Could medicines be included in this defi nition? [Yes think about painkillers, inhalers for asthma, sleeping pills ] What about tobacco and alcohol? Gases, glues and aerosols [volatile substances]? [If they have not already been placed under one of the headings, mention that, even though they are all legal substances, they are all drugs tobacco is a stimulant, alcohol and volatile substances are depressants.] Ask your school nurse or other trained fi rst-aider to demonstrate the recovery position to pupils. Get pupils to practise putting each other in the recovery position see inside back cover of Pupil s Booklet. Ask the pupils to use the information in the Pupil s Booklet to work out what they would do in the following scenario: You are out in the park with a group of friends. Suddenly someone comes running over to you saying a friend has collapsed they re not sure what has caused the problem but it could be alcohol or gases, glues or aerosols. What three things could you do to help? Ask the pupils to fi nd information in the drug facts section of the Pupil Book and in the fi gures from a national survey on drug use among young people. Identify three facts about cannabis How many 12 year-olds have ever tried cannabis? How many out of 100 young people aged 12 have never used an illegal drug? YEAR 7 STARTER ACTIVITIES Ask the pupils to discuss in groups and identify from their Pupil s Booklet what they think primary-age children need to know about drugs. 10 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

11 Year 7 Main activities The activities in this section contribute to the achievement of QCA PSHE End of Key Stage 3 Statement: Pupils can state the basic facts and laws about alcohol, tobacco and legal and illegal drugs Pupils can demonstrate understanding and empathy towards others who live their lives in different ways. Teacher s notes Anything that cannot be resolved or any issues that arise could be checked on websites such as or or or by using the Drug Information Booklet for Teachers (included in this pack). Objectives: To give pupils knowledge and awareness about drug issues (Sc2 2m, PSHE 2d) To discuss the reasons why some people use drugs. (PSHE 3b, 3d) Outcomes: Pupils can demonstrate knowledge and awareness of some drug issues Pupils can explain why some people use drugs. 1. What do we know about drugs? Label ten large sheets of paper with one each of the ten drugs listed in the Pupil s Booklet and some headings (see below). Pupils should move around the sheets and write something on each, for example: Something they know about the drug Something they ve heard (i.e. rumours or myths) about the drug A question they have about the drug. Divide the group into threes and ask each group to complete one fl ip-chart sheet. Using the Pupil s Booklet, get each group to check and correct the information written on their sheet and answer (where they can) any of the questions. They should then identify three key facts they think their peers need to know about the drug. Each group in turn should present their facts. YEAR 7 MAIN ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 11

12 Year 7 Main activities continued 2. Why do we use drugs? As a whole class take 5 minutes to brainstorm the reasons why: People start to use drugs People continue to use drugs. Write up suggestions, grouping similar themes together, such as personal characteristics, environment, external infl uences. Hold a class discussion about the issues raised. Teacher s notes Drug use is drug taking, such as consuming alcohol, taking medications or using illegal drugs. Any drug use can potentially lead to harm, whether through intoxication, breaking the law or school rules, or through future health problems. Drug misuse can be defi ned as drug use which leads the user to experience social, psychological or legal problems related to intoxication, regular excessive consumption or dependence on the drug or drugs. It may be part of a wider spectrum of problematic or harmful behaviour and require specifi c interventions, including treatment. 3. Identifying drug users Ask the pupils to describe in words or a picture someone who: Smokes cannabis Takes tranquillisers regularly Is a heavy smoker Often gets drunk Sniffs glue or inhales gases Refuses to try drugs. In small groups or whole class discussion, ask the pupils to discuss the assumptions they have made about each person. Guide the discussion to avoid stereotypes. Ask them to focus on: Why they might be using the drugs they are What the effects might be on their health, appearance, work, friends and family Work towards a defi nition of drug use and drug misuse. Review and reflect Close with a round of either: One word that sums up how I feel about today s session or One thing I have learnt from this session YEAR 7 MAIN ACTIVITIES 12 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

13 Year 8 Starter activities Before beginning any lesson, remind pupils of ground rules/ group agreement. If one has not yet been developed do it now. 1. About alcohol and cannabis Ask the pupils to use their Pupil s Booklet to try and fi nd out the following information about alcohol: What does the law say about under-18s using alcohol? What are the effects of alcohol? How can you fi nd out how much alcohol is in any alcoholic drink? And about cannabis: What is its legal status? How would you feel after using it? Think of three possible consequences if you use it. 2. Who is using drugs? In the Pupil s Booklet are some fi gures from a national survey on drug use among young people. Ask the pupils to use this information to answer these questions: What percentage of 12 year-olds have sniffed gases or glues? How many haven t? Which illegal drugs are pupils in their age group most likely to be offered? Did any of the answers they found surprise them? 3. Other sources of information Ask the pupils to use FRANK and other websites to fi nd out three additional pieces of information about cannabis not included in the Pupil s Booklet. YEAR 8 STARTER ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 13

14 Year 8 Starter activities continued 4. Find someone who This activity enables pupils to express some initial thoughts about drugs and drug use. Some questions look at pupil awareness and others look at opinions. You will need to create Find someone who sheets give each pupil a copy. The characteristics should be drug related and refl ect the wide defi nition of drugs see p4 of the Pupil s Booklet. Teacher s notes Not all classroom or teaching areas allow for easy movement. An alternative way could involve the teacher conducting a Hands up if you session, using the statements opposite with supporting discussion to check levels of awareness. This will work best in situations where pupils are suffi ciently confi dent to express individual opinions in a group situation. Here are some examples: Knows an adult who smokes cigarettes Thinks smoking shouldn t be banned in enclosed public places Can name three illegal drugs Has seen someone on the streets using drugs Has been prescribed drugs by a doctor or nurse Doesn t like the taste of alcoholic drinks Has talked to an adult about drugs Has talked to their friends about drugs Thinks that drug dealers should be sent to prison for a very long time Thinks that alcohol advertising should be banned Knows an adult who drinks alcohol regularly (more than once a week) Doesn t like being around people who are smoking Thinks cannabis should be legal Thinks all drugs should be legalised. In a class of you will need at least 15 statements. Avoid statements that could lead to disclosure. You may want to include more opinion-related statements that can act as a trigger for discussion. The pupils task should be to fi nd somebody for whom each statement is true. Listen to what each person has to say where the statement relates to an opinion. They should try and talk to as many different people as possible. This can be a short, sharp activity or can be extended. Hold a plenary discussion and take feedback on: Any gaps left on the sheets? Was it more diffi cult to fi nd examples for some statements than for others? Did people express any different opinions about these statements? Did anyone have strong feelings about whether any of these things should or should not happen? YEAR 8 STARTER ACTIVITIES 14 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

15 Year 8 Main activities Activities 1-3 in this section contribute to the achievement of QCA PSHE End of Key Stage 3 Statement: Pupils can state the basic facts and laws about alcohol, tobacco and legal and illegal drugs. Objectives To inform pupils about the laws related to drugs and drug use (PSHE 2d, 4c) To ensure that pupils are aware of recent changes in the law relating to drugs (PSHE 2d). Outcomes Pupils will have knowledge of some of the laws related to drugs and drug use Pupils understand that the laws relating to drugs can change, and can give an example. 1. Drugs and the law Do you have any rules within your family? Why? Do you have any (unsaid) rules between your friends? Why? Why do we have laws in general? Do you know about the school policy on drugs? What does it say? Write responses on a board or fl ip chart. If time allows explore them further. Next ask: What do you know about laws regarding drugs? Discuss these ideas. Relate the ideas about rules and laws in general to the specifi c context of rules and laws governing the use and misuse of drugs. You could highlight any stories that have recently been publicised in the press or on TV. Discuss with pupils their views of and attitudes to the laws relating to drugs including tobacco and alcohol: Why are they there? To protect themselves? Other people? What other reasons could there be? Ask pupils to prepare a list of questions to be shared between them, about rules, policies and the law: The drug classifi cation system why it is there, what it refl ects, what changes there have been and what they mean (cannabis has been reclassifi ed from B to C but remains an illegal and harmful drug) What the penalties are or should be for possession, supply or smuggling. Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. YEAR 8 MAIN ACTIVITIES 15

16 Year 8 Main activities continued Then ask pupils to research the answers using the Pupil s Booklet, websites such as Talk to FRANK, DrugScope, etc. and the school s drug policy, if appropriate, to answer each other s questions. This could be done by a series of short presentations on what they have discovered. Alternatively, get pupils to prepare a list of questions about the law for the school police liaison offi cer to answer, as part of a broader planned input. Pupils could be involved in inviting the offi cer into the school and making the necessary arrangements. 2. Quiz Are they breaking the law? Using the example below, create a quiz sheet containing simple scenarios that illustrate the law on drugs. You may want to create some more or others that relate to your pupils experiences. See the Drug Information Booklet for more information on drugs and the law. You can also refer to websites such as Talk to FRANK and DrugScope. See p34 in the Drug Information Booklet for details. Use the quiz sheet to organise a classroom quiz. After the quiz, bring the class back together. Write team names across the board/fl ip chart and put question numbers vertically down the side. Go through the quiz sheet. Record the score for each team. Example quiz questions Q. Pat and Chris are 14. They re drinking cider on a street corner. What might the police do? A. In some towns and cities there are by-laws which make it illegal for anyone to drink on the streets, whatever their age. And, in all areas, the police have the powers to confi scate alcohol from under- 18s who drink in public places, such as on a street corner. Q. Pradeep is 14. He goes into a local shop and buys 20 cigarettes. Is he breaking the law? A. No, BUT the person who sells Pradeep the cigarettes is breaking the law if it s obvious he is under 16. Q. 15 year-old Chayenne is with her mates and is stopped by the police in the high street. She has some cannabis in her possession. Is she likely to be arrested? A. Yes, cannabis is an illegal drug and young people aged 17 or under who are found in possession of it are likely to be arrested. This will result in Chayenne getting a reprimand or warning at a police station. In some circumstances, such as a repeat offence, it can lead to a court appearance and a possible resulting conviction. YEAR 8 MAIN ACTIVITIES Q. Petra is 15. She goes into a shop and buys some lighter refi ll (butane gas) to sniff with her friends. Is she breaking the law? A. No, BUT the person selling Petra the gas is breaking the law because Petra is under Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

17 Teacher s notes Ensure the feedback about the school s policy is recorded and passed on to the staff member responsible for reviewing and updating the drug policy. A useful summary of relevant laws about drugs and drug use can be found in appendix 3 of Drugs: Guidance for schools (DfES, 2004) see the current version, which is available on the CD ROM. 3. School drug policy review Ask pupils to consider the school s drug policy: What does it say? What are the rules and sanctions? Do pupils have any say in developing the policy (e.g. through the School Council)? Would they suggest any changes to the policy? If so, what would they be? Review and reflect Summarise why we have laws to ensure boundaries, protect citizens etc. Ask the class: What would happen if there were no laws What are the consequences of breaking the law? Activity 4 in this section contributes to the achievement of QCA PSHE End of Key Stage 3 Statement Pupils can explain how to stay physically and mentally healthy. They can make informed choices to maintain their health and well-being, and can explain reasons for these choices. 4. What do we know about drugs? Objectives: To explore attitudes towards drug-related issues (PSHE 2b, 2c) To acquire negotiation and debating skills. (PSHE 2g) Outcomes: Pupils can refl ect on and describe a variety of attitudes towards drug-related issues Pupils can demonstrate good negotiation and debating skills. Explain that attitudes towards different statements are going to be shown through a continuum line across the classroom. One side of the room is strongly agree. The other side is strongly disagree. Read out the statements (p18) and invite the pupils to stand at a point that best represents their view. They can stand at any point on the line not just at the extremities. (You might want to stand at different points and explain what views those points refl ect.) YEAR 8 MAIN ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 17

18 Year 8 Main activities continued Teacher s notes It will be important to explain and re-emphasise to those who who are new to using continuum lines that the aim is not to agree rights or wrongs. Pupils should be encouraged to refl ect on a range of opinions and think for themselves about how the views they hear may affect their future choices and behaviour. National fi gures for prevalences among young people are taken from Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2005: headline fi gures, Health and Social Care Information Centre, March The report can be found at: uk/pubs/drugsmokedrinkyoungeng2005 After each statement choose some pupils that are at the extremes and ask them why they are there. Ask them to debate with someone from the other extreme. Ask both to say what has infl uenced their views. Ask pupils in the middle points why they have positioned themselves there and ask them to debate with pupils at either extreme. Again, ask them to say what infl uenced their views. End the lesson by discussing what different perspectives people might have on drugs. These may be based on knowledge, culture, religion, professional role or previous experience. For a possible further activity or follow-up, use a case study or current news story which illustrates how some drug use might stop people achieving their goals and ambitions (such as imprisonment, damage to health or effects on employment). Ask pupils to identify how drugs could also help others achieve goals (e.g. medical treatments to enhance life). Close with a round of Something I want to achieve in my lifetime is Continuum statement ideas These are a few examples to start you off. You can use others that you or your pupils have created. People aged 16 should be allowed to buy alcohol. Find out how many young people drink under age is the law acting as a deterrent or not? What would happen if there was no legal age would this cause more problems or not? In % of pupils aged 13 had NOT drunk alcohol in the last week, showing a decline since It is not right that alcohol and tobacco are legal and cannabis is illegal. (Look at the harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco [tobacco being the biggest killer in the UK]. Does that make it right that cannabis should be legalised? Aren t they all harmful?) If drug education was better, even fewer young people would use drugs. (What age do pupils think drug education should start? Do shock tactics work? Is there enough drug education?) In 2005, 81% of year-olds had NEVER taken illegal drugs. People who have heart problems through smoking should have to wait longer for treatment. (What about human rights and equality? If we start denying treatment for smokers, who else should we deny treatment for?) Activity 5 in this section contributes to the achievement of QCA PSHE End of Key Stage 3 Statement Pupils can assess the element of risk attached to making choices about healthy lifestyles. 5. How many people? Objectives: To show how pupils perception of how many young people take drugs differs from the reality (PSHE 3d) To give pupils a better understanding of the relationship between age and drug use. (PSHE 2f) YEAR 8 MAIN ACTIVITIES Outcomes: Pupils understand that their perceptions about how many young people take drugs may be different from the reality Pupils understand the relationship between age and drug use. 18 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

19 Teacher s notes Research indicates most young people over-estimate the levels of drug use among their peers. They also tend to over-estimate the acceptability of drug use among peers. If young people believe all their friends are experimenting and think drug use is acceptable, then they may feel under great pressure to do the same. Note on definition: the definition of drugs used for the purpose of this survey includes only illegal drugs and excludes alcohol and tobacco, which are referred to separately. This is essentially a quick-fi re auction, in which pupils estimate how many people are involved in various drug-related behaviours. Below is a series of statements based on national prevalence fi gures among young people. Read out each statement and ask pupils to say whether the real fi gure is higher, lower or the same. You can do this by asking pupils to call out, hold up their hands, or by moving to different sides of the room (if the layout allows). (This could also be done in teams.) Then, when pupils have expressed what they think, read out the answer. At the end, ask pupils what has surprised them, what they thought was right, and if anything has changed their minds. Alternatively, you can do this activity by asking pupils to estimate the percentage for each statement without giving any clue, then revealing the actual number. It is likely that their estimates will vary widely, which can be a starting point for further discussion. You may need to explain that the fi gures are based on national statistics for England. Local fi gures may refl ect different situations. (Contact your Local Authority Adviser or local Healthy Schools co-ordinator if you would like to obtain local fi gures.) If your class has diffi culty in understanding percentages or proportions, you may need to rephrase the statements in a way that they can relate to e.g. 10% could be expressed as 10 in every 100 or 3 out of this class of 30. Statements and answers The introduction of factual data which shows drug use is not as widespread as may have been thought may help them see the realities more clearly. It may also be helpful in strengthening any resolve they may have not to use drugs. National fi gures for prevalences among young people are taken from Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2005: headline fi gures, Health and Social Care Information Centre, March 2006: drugsmokedrinkyoungeng2005 Q. 80% of pupils aged 12 have not sniffed gases, glues or aerosols (VSA). A. Higher the number is 94%. Q. 20% of pupils aged take illegal drugs once a week. A. Lower much lower only 2%. Q. 30% of year-olds drink alcohol each week. A. Lower 22% of boys and 23% of girls. Q. 20% of all pupils aged smoke regularly at least once a week. A. Lower the fi gure is 9%. Q. 40% of 15 year-old pupils have taken cannabis. A. Lower it is just 27%, slightly over one in four. Q. 5% of pupils aged have taken cocaine in the last year. A. Lower much lower, just 2%. 98% didn t. Q. 90% of 13 year-olds have never tried an ecstasy tablet. A. Higher 99% of 13 year-olds have not tried ecstasy. YEAR 8 MAIN ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 19

20 Year 9 Starter activities 1. What would you do? Using the Pupil s Booklet, ask the pupils to fi nd out answers to these questions: You are at a party, or a club. What might happen if you leave a drink unattended and then return to it later? You re still at the party or club and have decided to get another drink rather than fi nishing the one you had left unattended. On the way over, one of your friends offers you something that they say will give you loads of energy and make you feel really good. It s from a friend so it will be OK or will it? How can you tell what it is? What are the risks in taking it? If you want to access confi dential information about drugs who could you ask? 2. How many? In the Pupil s Booklet are some fi gures from a national survey on drug use among young people. Ask the pupils to write down (without looking at the book) what they think are the answers to these questions: What proportion of 15 year-olds smoke tobacco regularly (every week)? They could answer as a percentage or as a proportion e.g. one in four Over the past few years, has the number of year-olds who have recently used drugs of some sort gone up or come down? Now the pupils should look at the Pupil s Booklet to fi nd out what the answers actually are (pp28-29). They should compare what they thought with what the real fi gures show. Ask what surprised them. YEAR 9 STARTER ACTIVITIES 20 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

21 Teacher s notes Remember, you don t have to be an expert on drugs. This can be seen as an exercise in researching facts about drug use and prevalences together. This point could be raised before the start by the teacher, including it as a feature of the group agreement. 3. What do we know about drugs? You will need True and False signs to put up in the classroom for this activity: Explain to the class that you are going to read out a series of questions and want them to stand on the right-hand side of the room if they think the answer is true and on the left-hand side if they think the answer is false. Some example questions are given below you may want to create others that relate to your class s level of knowledge. Expand on each question using the following points: Is it harmful? Is it legal? Or illegal? If legal, is it restricted in some way? (E.g. tobacco and alcohol are age-restricted, prescription medicines are restricted to those for whom they are intended, etc.) If illegal, what classifi cation does it fall into (A, B or C)? How is it taken? What category is it? (E.g. stimulant, depressant, hallucinogen, painkiller.) What are the risks in taking it? Example questions and answers Q. Cannabis is a completely safe drug True or False? A. False no drug is 100% safe. Look it up in the Pupil s Booklet and fi nd out why. Q. Crack is cocaine that can be smoked True or False? A. True. About 15 young people die every year in England from sniffi ng volatile substances. That s more than one a month. 6% of year-olds usually take drugs once a month or more. National fi gures for prevalences among young people are taken from Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2005: headline fi gures, Health and Social Care Information Centre, March The report can be found at: drugsmokedrinkyoungeng2005 Q. Sniffi ng gases, glues or aerosols (Volatile Substance Abuse [VSA]) doesn t kill anyone True or False? A. False at least one young person dies each month from abusing gases, glues and aerosols. Q. More people end up in trouble with the police through drinking alcohol than they do with any other drug True or False? A. True most court cases are alcohol related, including offences of violence, driving and public order offences. Q. Every month, 94% of year-olds do not use illegal drugs True or False? A. True only 6% of year-olds take illegal drugs once a month or more. YEAR 9 STARTER ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 21

22 Year 9 Main activities The main activities in this section contribute to the achievement of QCA PSHE End of Key Stage 3 Statement: Pupils can make informed choices to maintain their health and well-being, and can explain reasons for these choices Pupils can assess the element of risk attached to making choices about healthy lifestyles, travel, personal safety and personal fi nances They can demonstrate effective ways of resisting negative pressure, including from their peers. Objectives To give pupils a model for making decisions about drug-related and other situations To introduce awareness of the factors infl uencing decisions (PSHE 2g, 4g) To enable pupils to use the concept of risk to inform their decision-making. (PSHE 2f, 4g) Outcomes Pupils are able to use the Four Cs model in making decisions Pupils are aware of what infl uences their decisions Pupils can describe how they could use their understanding of risk to inform their decision-making. 1. Making your mind up Explain the Four Cs decision-making model. (This is the model that pupils will be asked to use in this activity.) The Four Cs Make the decision 1. Be Clear about what the issue or problem is think what the decision is about. 2. Consider the options available what are the possible decisions you might make? 3. Think about the Consequences of each option what might happen in each case? 4. Choose the best option make the decision most appropriate to you. Divide the class into two or four groups, according to class size. Ask each group to apply the Four Cs model to one of the following scenarios. They should work out what the issue or problem is, three possible options, the possible consequences of each, and what their decision would be. In a plenary session, ask each group to feed back what their decision was, how it was arrived at, and the reasons for it. YEAR 9 MAIN ACTIVITIES 22 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

23 Two scenarios 1. On the way home from school with your mates, you take a short cut across the common. Someone gets out a packet of cigarettes and offers them round. Everyone else seems to be expecting this and takes one. You have never smoked and your mum would be angry if she found out. You hesitate, wanting to say no, and a couple of the others laugh. 2. Your friends have plans to meet up tonight. They do this often, but you don t go because you have to help out at home. You think they have been experimenting with sniffi ng gases or glue. At school, one of them asks you to go down to the local shop and buy a couple of lighter refi lls you are known there and your friends know that your dad often sends you to the shop for refi lls. 2. What s the risk? Objectives: To give pupils an insight into the nature of risk (PSHE 2f, 4g) To make pupils aware of the risks associated with drugs and drug use. (PSHE 2f, 4g) Outcomes: Pupils will gain some insight into the nature of risk Pupils will be able to explain some risks associated with drugs and how the risks relate to the context in which drugs are used and other factors. This activity is intended to get pupils to think about risk, how it applies to them and how risk varies in different circumstances. Introduce the activity by explaining what risk means. Risk is the chance (likelihood or probability) that harm might be caused. In other words, it is about what might happen. So when we assess risk we have to think about two things: 1. The what (or harms) 2. The might (the probability or likelihood) that the harm will happen. Some actions involve more than one harm, and each harm has a different probability. The probability depends on lots of factors, such as the circumstances, the abilities and predispositions of the person involved. YEAR 9 MAIN ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 23

24 Year 9 Main activities continued Scenarios Here is a series of brief scenarios. Ask the pupils to identify what might happen in each case and assess the risks to the person involved. Reassure the young people that this is not always a simple task! 1. A 12 year-old pupil taking a paracetamol to ease a headache. 2. Taking energy drinks before exams. 3. Giving your younger brother a lager from the fridge at home. 4. Sharing a spliff with a few mates at a party. 5 Getting into a car driven by an older cousin who has been drinking at an end-of-school celebration. 6. Smoking a cigarette each day on the bus after school. 7. Taking a pill offered to you at a party to get you more in the mood. Answers can include the following, but there will be other examples: 1. What might happen? The headache might go away with one tablet. If the headache does not go away, and the 12 year-old takes more tablets too soon after the fi rst one, he or she might experience some harmful effect. The dose stated on the bottle is recommended, so that the chance of harm is low (i.e. low risk). 2. There are several possible harms: for example, the energy drink might enable you to study later and longer, but leave you feeling too tired to do well in the exam the next day. You might get used to using the energy drink and need more to get the same effect. The more of the energy drink you drink, the more likely it is that you will experience a harmful effect. 3. The young brother might feel drowsy, do something he would not usually do, or get into trouble. He might hurt himself, for example he might go out and ride his bike while under the infl uence of the alcohol. It s possible that an accident could result in a serious injury. The risk depends on what he does next. 4. Cannabis is illegal and harmful, it can cause mental health and other problems. But what is the risk? The risk depends on several factors which are not easily known: for example, the strength of the cannabis, how often the same person has smoked cannabis before, and the characteristics of the person smoking such as how old they are and whether they have a predisposition (tendency) to mental health problems. If a young person smokes strong forms of cannabis often and has a predisposition to mental health problems the risk of serious harm from smoking cannabis is higher than for other people who are older, smoke only occasionally and have no predisposition to mental health problems. Just because one person seems to be able to smoke cannabis without problems, that does not mean that cannabis smoking is a low risk for everyone. YEAR 9 MAIN ACTIVITIES 5. The driver might not be able to control the car and might cause an accident. The passengers might be very seriously injured or even killed. The probability of an accident increases with the amount of alcohol drunk even a small amount increases the chance of harm. 24 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

25 6. Smoking tobacco regularly quickly leads to dependency and addiction (you need to smoke to feel normal and you need to smoke more to get the same effect). This means you inhale more of the chemicals in the tobacco which cause cancer, heart and lung disease. Studies have shown that the probability of harm from smoking cigarettes is high. For example, a regular smoker aged under 50 is 10 times more likely to die of heart disease than a person who has never smoked. It is also illegal to smoke on public transport, such as buses and trains, so there is a chance of getting into trouble and causing upset to family if they fi nd out. Teacher s notes Teaching about risk needs to recognise that all situations involve an element of risk and this is true of situations involvingdrugs. An element of helping pupils think about both short-term risk (e.g. getting into problems with the law) and long-term risk (e.g. health problems) will be important. 7. The risk is diffi cult to assess. You do not know what is in the tablet and so you cannot guess the harm or how likely it is to happen. Some people would say the risk is lower if they think they know what is in the pill, have taken pills from this person before and have not had problems, but this is not a guarantee that the chance of harm is the same every time. These answers have focused on the health risks. What about the harms which can result from breaking the law and other social and educational consequences? Review and reflect Ask the pupils to review some of the everyday risks they take: What are the possible harms? How likely are these to occur? Is the risk high or low? Why? Or ask the pupils to name a drug and a harm or consequence that could happen as a result of taking that drug. (This could be a quick closing round.) YEAR 9 MAIN ACTIVITIES Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 25

26 26 Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

27 Guide to what s on the CD ROM This pack includes a CD ROM. Contents can be accessed through the CD s contents page, and can be printed out or saved onto your PC. The CD ROM contains materials that can be used in lessons, including: The lesson ideas and activities in this Teacher s Guide in editable form The drug images from the Drug Information Booklet for Teachers: for use in your classroom teaching, e.g. on a whiteboard, OHT or as a handout Individual PDFs of the drug information pages Other content from the Drug Information Booklet for Teachers, including a diagram illustrating the four types of drugs stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens and opiate-type painkillers. The CD ROM also contains a number of key guidance documents: Drugs, alcohol and tobacco education: Curriculum guidance for schools at key stages 1-4 (QCA, 2003) Drugs: Guidance for schools (DfES, 2004) Drug policy review process template (adapted from the Blueprint Programme) Every Child Matters: Change for Children Young people and drugs Joining Forces Drugs: Guidance for police working in schools and colleges (ACPO, 2006) PSHE at key stages 1-4: Guidance on assessment, recording and reporting (QCA, 2005) Updated National Drugs Strategy (2002) Sources of information and support with links to websites. The CD ROM also includes a template letter to parents which can be adapted for use by your school, and a link to an online feedback form, which offers you the opportunity to express your views on content and use of this pack. CD ROM GUIDE Drugs refers to all drugs, including medicines, volatile substances, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. 27