Lesson video

Thank you for joining me in today's lesson which is all about recreational drug use.

We will be talking about the risks, legal ramifications and the effects of specific recreational drugs and recreational drugs in general throughout the course of this unit.

My name is Mrs. O'Neill.

Let's get started on today's lesson.

So today's lesson focuses on cannabis or marijuana and ecstasy, and it deals with aspects of drugs education.

So if this is sensitive to you you might wish to consult a trusted adult before completing the lesson, or have a trusted adult nearby.

In this lesson, you're going to need an exercise book or piece of paper and a pen.

Our agenda for today's lesson is as follows: Hopefully you've already completed our intro quiz if not hop back and complete that first.

We're going to talk about the definitions and status in the law of the drugs that we've mentioned, the effects of those drugs, the risks of taking those drugs and then I'll direct you to our exit quiz.

So key words for today's lesson, first of all, cannabis which is also known as marijuana, weed, pot, dope, or grass and it's the most widely used illegal drug in the UK.

And it's mostly smoked.

We're also going to talk about ecstasy which is also known as MDMA an illegal synthetic drug that alters mood and perception.

Is usually taken in pill or powder form.

So ecstasy, MDMA is the most widely used illegal drug in the UK.

Is that true or false? Please point to the correct answer now.

Indeed, that's false.

It's actually cannabis also known as marijuana that is the most widely used illegal drug in the UK.

Let's look at the status in the law of those drugs.

Please remember the maximum penalties for drug possession, supply and production depend on what type or class the drug is.

Now Cannabis is class B drug in the UK and the maximum punishment for possession of cannabis is five years in prison and or an unlimited fine.

The maximum punished for production or supply of cannabis is up to 14 years in prison and or an unlimited fine.

Now ecstasy is class A drug.

So it's seven years in prison and or unlimited fine and up to life in prison as well as the unlimited fine for production or supply.

So reflecting on that knowledge, I'd like you to arrange the features below into two categories, cannabis or ecstasy.

So which drug does each of those features listed in the table apply to? Please pause the video drop down your answers and press play when you're ready to resume.

Okay, thank you.

Let's see if you're correct.

So class A is ecstasy, maximum seven year sentence for possession, ecstasy and maximum life sentence for production and supply is ecstasy.

Class B is cannabis, five year maximum sentence for possession is cannabis.

And the maximum 14 year sentence for production or supply is cannabis.

So what are the effects of these drugs? Now for cannabis, the effects can vary a lot from person to person and it depends how much or how often it's taken and what it contains.

But if that's can include a feeling of being relaxed, laughing, becoming more talkative, hunger pangs, feeling drowsy, tired, orthogenic, feeling faint or sick, having problems with memory or concentrating, experiencing mild hallucinations, feeling confused, anxious, or paranoid.

So which of these options is not an effect of cannabis? Hunger pangs, mild hallucinations, feeling more energetic or feeling drowsy.

Please point to the correct answer now.

It's feeling more energetic, that's not correct.

It's not an effect of cannabis.

Well done if you got that correct.

The other features on the screen now are all common effects of taking cannabis.

Cannabis use can contribute to feelings of anxiety.

Is that true or false please point to the correct answer now.

Okay, let's have a look.

It's true.

According to the NHS website, which is based on research cannabis use can lead to feelings of confusion, anxiety, or paranoia.

Let's look at the effects of ecstasy and these effects are the initial effects.

It can give a sense of intense wellbeing or euphoria, heightened sensitivity, increased energy, sociability and closeness.

Can lead to sweating, loss of full control of bodily movements, blurred or double vision, changes in perception, a dry mouth and muscle tension.

Ongoing effect.

So over the course of the week following moderate use of the drug, a person may experience, irritability, impulsiveness and aggression, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, memory and attention problems, and a decreased appetite.

And these are just some of the effects that users of ecstasy may experience and the days after taking the drug.

In your own words, I'd like to please explain the concerning ongoing effects of the drug ecstasy.

Please pause the video to do that now.

Let's now look at some of the risks associated with those cannabis and ecstasy.

So risks of cannabis.

Cannabis is usually smoked.

So all of the tobacco related diseases, heart disease, lung disease, they are all risks are kind of issues because it's usually smoked.

Obviously, we're referring that to long-term use of cannabis through smoking.

Feeling wheezy or out of breath, developing a painful cough, making symptoms of asthma worse.

Now, in terms of any drugs, you should not drive or operate machinery under the influence of drugs.

That is illegal.

It's a nother criminal aspect of drug use.

But with cannabis is important because some people who use cannabis may think that they are able to drive and that it's not affected them, but that's true.

There is a reduced ability to drive or operate machinery safely even if you feel fine and are a regular user of cannabis.

And there's a risk to mental health.

Long-term use of cannabis has been linked to increased psychotic illnesses, including schizophrenia but there are other mental health conditions that can be exacerbated through long-term use of cannabis.

In terms of the risks of ecstasy, liver, kidney, and heart problems, temperature control, and dehydration that's even with the first or singular use of ecstasy.

And that can be really dangerous because you can't regulate your temperature properly that can lead to dehydration or to drinking excessive amounts of water to combat the dehydration, which is also dangerous.

There's a real high risk that the ecstasy has been dangerously mixed with a nother drug or substance and it's impossible to know.

And it may encourage unsafe sexual behaviour because of the way the drug makes you feel.

Now what's, I'm asking you to do now is to match up the correct image, which acts here as a symbol, a memory aid with a risk factor for cannabis or ecstasy.

So you can to look at each image and then does that match ecstasy or does that match cannabis? So for A to E, please drop down the letter and drop down whether it's ecstasy or cannabis that this image makes you think of.

Please pause the video to complete that task now.

Hopefully you've had a chance now to complete the image match up.

Let's have a look if your answers match mine.

So we've got the thermometer representing the overheating, and then the possible dehydration of ecstasy.

With B, we talked about the smoking related risks that cannabis.

C talking about issues with the heart and with other organs as well.

So that's ecstasy.

The cough can be caused if you cannabis in D and with E the image that represents the mental health conditions that can be attributed to long-term use of cannabis.

Although we did mention earlier in the lesson that ecstasy can also lead to increased anxiety and depression particularly in the days following use of the drug.

So if you have pots, the A as well, then you wouldn't be wrong, but we're linking it mainly to cannabis.

Overall, thinking about everything we've talked about in your own words, I'd like you to now explain the risks of cannabis and ecstasy.

Please pause the video to complete that task now.

Thank you so much.

I'm going to bring together our lesson now by completing a mind map.

Thinking about all the facts that we've learned about the law, about the risks and about the effects of cannabis and ecstasy, please copy out the mind map and add at least three examples to each section of the mind map.

I'll start you off here with an effect cannabis one effect is hunger pangs.

Please pull the video to complete this activity now.

Support is available in your own school through your school nurse and referral to drug and alcohol services.

You may speak to a trusted adult might want to consult your GP.

It's a really good place to start with any issues around drug use.

if you are looking for support to stop using drugs And the NHS website has lots more information about the drugs we've talked about today and about help available for people who use those drugs and who may wish to seek support to stop using Childline, NSPCC in The mix of all services.

You can find them online.

You can also call Childline on the number on the screen so that you can seek support for any issues around drugs and they can point you in the right direction to more specialist support if needed as well.

Thank you so much for joining me in the second lesson in this unit about drugs and alcohol with a focus on recreational drugs.

In our next lesson that will be our final lesson in this unit.

And I really hope that you'll join me there.

Please don't forget to complete today's exit quiz.

Thank you so much for your time and efforts today.

Goodbye.