Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Kumar, and I'm really pleased that you've chosen to learn with me today.

Today's lesson is called the facts about drugs, and it's taken from our unit risky substances, why do people use alcohol and drugs? Some parts of the lesson might feel upsetting or uncomfortable.

We recommend that you are accompanied by an adult.

If at any stage you do feel uncomfortable or upset, please stop the video and speak to a trusted adult.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can describe the effects and risks of drugs.

Before we begin any learning, let's just remind ourselves of those all important ground rules.

Laura reminds us to listen to others.

During discussions, it's really important that we listen to one another, take turns and respond with respect.

Andeep reminds us to respect each other's privacy.

It is okay to share examples, but please make sure that you don't give away too much detail so that people can identify who it is that you might be talking about.

Jacob reminds us, no judgement.

This should be a safe space to discuss.

Please don't make anyone feel judged for what they say or believe.

And finally, Izzy reminds us that it's okay for us to choose our own level of participation.

If you don't want to answer a question or take part in the discussion, that's absolutely fine.

No one should be made to feel put on the spot.

Throughout today's lesson, you'll notice that there are some words highlighted in bold, black font.

These are key words.

Before we begin any learning, let's take a quick look at today's keywords along with their definitions.

Drug.

A drug is a substance that affects the way body or mind work.

Prescription.

This is a medicine given by a doctor or pharmacist.

Side effect.

A side effect is an unexpected or unwanted change caused by a substance.

Effect.

This is when our body or mind is changed by a substance.

And finally, motivation.

Motivation is the reason why someone does something.

Today's lesson is split into three parts.

Let's start with part one, what effect do drugs have? A drug is a substance that affects the way our body or mind works.

That means that it changes the way our body or mind works.

On the screen, you can see a photograph of drugs.

In this particular photograph, the drugs are in the form of pills.

You can see that pills come in lots of different shapes, sizes, and colours.

By young children, these could be mistaken as sweets, which is why it's really important that drugs are kept out of reach of children and young people.

Prescription drugs or medicines are legally given to people by a doctor or pharmacist when they are unwell.

Legally means within the law.

So prescription drugs or medicines are allowed to be given by law only by doctors or pharmacists to people when they are unwell.

On medicines, there will always be instructions, and as long as the instructions are followed and the right amount of the prescription drug is taken, they are safe and can help us.

Prescription drugs or medicines should only ever be given by adults.

The instructions on the medicine or drugs will tell the adult how often the medicine should be given, how much of the medicine should be given.

It might even explain whether the medicine needs to be given before or after food.

They should only ever be given by adults.

It is never safe to take someone else's prescription drugs because of possible side effects.

This is always the case, even if the drug is for the same illness.

The reason is because taking someone else's medication could cause allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, or even damage to the organs.

Here's our first check for understanding.

Izzy has a question.

"Is it safe to take someone else's prescription drug?" Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? Let's take a look.

The answer is of course, no.

Prescription drugs can have side effects.

Taking someone else's medication, even if it's for the same illness, could cause allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, or organ damage.

Well done if you got that right.

Some drugs are called over-the-counter medicines.

In this photograph, you can see some cough syrup.

These particular medicines do not need a prescription.

That means that over-the-counter medicines can be bought by an adult from a shop or chemist without a doctor or pharmacist having to prescribe them.

These medicines are usually used for minor symptoms or illnesses.

Some examples of over-the-counter medicines include cold remedies and cough syrup.

Again, it is really important that an adult reads the instructions carefully so that exactly the right amount of medicine is taken.

Just because these can be bought over-the-counter, it does not mean that there are not side effects if taken incorrectly.

It's really important that only an adult gives these medicines.

Let's have a look at another check for understanding.

Drugs that can be legally bought by an adult without a prescription are called, A, under-the-counter medicines, B, behind-the-counter medicines, or C, over-the-counter medicines? Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answer is C, over-the-counter medicines.

Well done if you got that right.

Did you know that the following are drugs? Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol.

Well done if you did.

Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol are all legal drugs.

That means that it is within the law for those to be bought by adults.

Whilst there aren't any age restrictions or age limits for caffeinated drinks, some retailers or sellers will not sell certain energy drinks to anyone under the age of 16 years.

The reason for this is because energy drinks contain high amounts of caffeine, and caffeine in high quantities could be harmful for young people or children.

Now it's time for another check for understanding.

True or false, alcohol is a legal drug? Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answer is true.

Well done if you got that right.

Illegal drugs are extremely dangerous.

The effect of illegal drugs on the body or mind depends on the type of drug that it is.

Drugs can fall into different categories, however many illegal drugs are either depressants or stimulants.

We're going to take a look at those two categories in more detail now.

The effects of depressants on the body and mind are loss of concentration, slower reactions, slower breathing, poor coordination and memory loss.

Heroin is one example of an illegal depressant drug.

Here's another check for understanding.

True or false, a depressant drug slows down reactions? Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answer is true.

Well done if you got that right.

Now let's take a look at the effects of stimulants.

The brain is more alert, poor quality sleep, headaches, loss of appetite, and feeling anxious or paranoid.

Cocaine and ecstasy are examples of illegal stimulant drugs.

True or false, stimulants are drugs that improve the quality of sleep? Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answer is false.

Have a think about why.

Stimulants can cause poor quality sleep because they make the brain more alert.

Well done if you got that right.

That brings us to the first task of today's lesson, task A.

On the screen you can see a table.

The left hand column says depressants, the right hand column says stimulants.

For this task, I'd like you to sort the effects of illegal drugs into depressants or stimulants.

The effects at the bottom of the screen are the brain is more alert, memory loss, poor coordination, loss of appetite, slower breathing, and feeling anxious or paranoid.

Feel free to pause the video, carry out the task, and then when you're ready to look at the answers, press play.

How did you get on? Let's take a look at some possible answers together now.

Underneath the heading "depressants," you should have the effects: memory loss, poor coordination, and slower breathing.

Underneath the effects of stimulants you should have: the brain is more alert, loss of appetite, feeling anxious and/or paranoid.

Well done if you got those right.

It's time to move on to the second part of today's lesson, why do people take drugs? There are lots of reasons why people might be motivated to take illegal drugs.

Let's take a quick look at some of those reasons now.

Andeep says that people might take drugs because they're curious to know what it feels like.

Jacob says that perhaps for some people, they feel more confident after they've taken the drug.

Laura explains that some people might give into peer pressure because they want to fit in with people around them.

And Izzy says that for some people, maybe the drug helps them to forget about their worries.

Time for another check for understanding.

Some people are motivated to take drugs because, A, they are curious to know what it feels like, B, they give into peer pressure to fit in with people, or C, they feel less confident after taking a drug.

Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answers are A and B.

Some people are motivated to take drugs because they are curious to know what it feels like or they've given into peer pressure to fit in with people around them.

Well done if you got that right.

People might be motivated to take drugs because of what they see or hear in the media.

Quite often, TV shows, films, music or social media might make it seem that illegal drugs are a fun thing to do.

Illegal drugs are dangerous.

It is important that you understand the facts.

Time for another check for understanding.

True or false, people might be motivated to take drugs because of what they see or hear in the media? Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answer is true.

Well done if you got that right.

Drug taking can also be influenced by family history.

A person is more likely to take drugs if they've got a parent or carer that is addicted.

True or false, drug taking is not influenced by family history? Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answer is false.

Have a little think about why.

A person is more likely to take drugs if they have a parent or carer that is addicted, so it is influenced by family history.

Well done if you got that right.

Time for our second task, task B.

Jacob is a little confused about drugs.

He says, "If illegal drugs are dangerous, why do some people take them?" Explain to Jacob why people choose to take drugs, giving three reasons in your answer.

Feel free to pause the video, carry out the task, and then when you're ready to move on and have a look at the answers, just press play.

How did you get on? Let's take a look at some possible answers together now.

Your task was to explain to Jacob why people choose to take drugs, giving three reasons within your answer.

Your answers might have included the following: people might be curious to know what it feels like.

People might feel more confident after taking the drug.

People might give into peer pressure to fit in with others around them.

Some people might take drugs to forget their worries.

People might see taking drugs as a fun or positive thing to do in the media.

Or people are more likely to take drugs if they have a parent or carer that is addicted.

Well done if you had answers along those lines.

That brings us to the third and final part of today's lesson, what are the risks of taking drugs? As well as the effects on the body and mind, there are many other long-term risks of taking drugs.

Drugs can impact people's mental health.

It can also lead to the breakdown of relationships.

People could become dependent on drugs.

That means that they might begin to feel that they need to take drugs regularly in order to carry out normal everyday activities.

People might also become addicted to drugs.

That means that they cannot stop using drugs, even though they know it is doing them harm.

Addiction is an illness.

People who are addicts are not bad people.

People who are addicted to drugs need professional support.

Time for another check for understanding.

Some of the long-term risks of taking drugs are: A, breakdown of relationships, B, improved employment opportunities, or C, risk of addiction or dependency.

Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answers are A and C.

Some of the long-term risks of taking drugs are breakdown of relationships, and the risk of addiction or dependency.

Well done if you got that right.

Illegal drugs belong to different classes, depending on the harm that they can cause.

It is a criminal offence to carry, to make or to supply illegal drugs.

The penalty for this depends on which class the drug belongs to.

There is a risk of unlimited fines or prison sentence if caught.

It is really important to have clear boundaries around drugs.

Clear boundaries can help people to stay safe.

Izzy reminds us that boundaries are imaginary lines that what we will or won't allow.

Another thing that can help keep us safe is assertive language.

Assertive language is a way in which you can share your point of view in a clear, firm and respectful way.

Jacob reminds us that it can be a good idea to practise some assertive phrases to prepare us for tricky situations involving drugs.

Let's take a quick look at some assertive language examples now.

Andeep reminds us that we can say, "No thanks.

I don't want to." Izzy reminds us that we can say, "It is my choice and I'm choosing not to." Laura says, "If you feel confident, you could explain the risks.

And remember, always talk to a trusted adult, especially if you are under the age of 18 years." Jacob says, "Good friends should respect your boundaries and should not pressure you." Time for another check for understanding.

True or false, carrying, making or supplying illegal drugs is not a criminal offence? Feel free to pause the video, have a little think and then press play when you're ready to move on.

How did you get on? The answer is false.

Have a think about why.

It is against the law to carry, make or supply illegal drugs.

Depending on the class of drug, there is a risk of unlimited fines or a prison sentence.

Well done if you got that right.

That brings us to the third and final task of today's lesson.

Here is a passage of text with some blanks for missing words.

The words that you need are at the bottom of the screen: dependent, relationships, addicted and health.

Your job is to try and put the correct word in the correct space.

"Drugs can impact mental blank and cause the breakdown of blank.

People might become blank on drugs.

This is when their body relies on drugs to feel all right.

People might get blank to drugs.

This means that they cannot stop using drugs, even though it harms them." Feel free to pause the video to carry out the task.

When ready to look at the answers, press play.

How did you get on? Let's take a look at the answers together.

The passage should read, "Drugs can impact mental health and cause the breakdown of relationships.

People might become dependent on drugs.

This is when their body relies on drugs to feel all right.

People might get addicted to drugs.

This means that they cannot stop using drugs, even though it harms them." Well done if you got that right.

That brings us to the end of our lesson.

Before we finish, let's take a quick look at today's lesson summary.

A drug is a substance that affects the way the body or mind work.

Prescription drugs can be helpful when given by a doctor or pharmacist.

You should never take someone else's prescription drug.

Drugs have many effects on the body, depending on the type of drug.

People are motivated to take drugs for different reasons.

The long-term effects of drugs are mental health problems, addiction or dependency.

It is a criminal offence to carry, make or supply illegal drugs.

Well done on all your effort today.

This was a tricky lesson, but I hope that you have learned something.

If you've been affected by anything that you've learned today, please do speak to a trusted adult.

You can also find more support online with these organisations.

NHS Live Well.

Here, you'll find NHS advice about healthy living, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol.

SafeCall.

This is a service for young people and family members affected by missing people, county lines and criminal exploitation.

And finally, Childline.

This is a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support.