Get the facts: drug abuse puts your whole body at risk

Science World, April 16, 2007

Lesson Plan & Reproducible

Preparation: Before the lesson, make two photocopies of the Student Activity Reproducible for a pre- and post-lesson quiz.

OBJECTIVE Students will understand some of the serious health consequences of drug abuse and addiction.

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS Life Science; Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

WHAT YOU WILL DO

* Introduce the topic of drug abuse and health by asking students what they consider the most important health issues facing teens today. Give students time for discussion.

* Distribute copies of the Student Activity Reproducible. Tell students to write their name on the paper and answer the questions. Explain that they will answer the questions again after they read the article.

* Have students read "Get the Facts: Drug Abuse Puts Your Whole Body at Risk" in their magazines. When they have finished, begin a discussion: What are some of the ways in which drug abuse and addiction affect the health issues you identified earlier? What are some ways you can protect your health with regard to drugs? Why is it important to get the facts about your health?

* After the discussion, have students complete the reproducible again. When they have finished, reveal the correct answers.

* Wrap up the lesson by asking students: How would you respond to someone who says, "Drugs mesa" with your head a bit; what's the big deal?" or, "I'm healthy; what's there to worry about with drugs?"

For further facts about the health effects of drugs on the body, visit www.scholastic.com/headsup.

Research shows ...

"Drug abuse and addiction can affect almost every system in your body. You probably know that drugs affect feelings and moods, judgment, decision making, learning, and memory. But they can also cause or worsen other health problems--cancer; heart disease; lung disease; liver function; mental disorders; and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and tuberculosis. Some of these effects occur when drugs are used at high doses or after prolonged use, and some may occur after just one use."

--Nora Volkow, M.D., Director of NIDA

* Tobacco addiction increases risk of lung and heart disease, as well as premature aging of the skin.

* Inhalants spread toxic chemicals throughout the body, and can cause blackouts and hearing loss as well as liver, kidney, and bone-marrow damage.

* Methamphetamine can cause cardiac damage, elevated heart rate, and convulsions, and can also lead to diseased gums and teeth, known as "meth mouth."

* Cocaine has been linked to stroke and heart attack, as well as increased vulnerability to infection.

* Drug abuse is linked to the top U.S. medical problems, including heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and mental illness.

HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, and Other Infectious Diseases

Nearly one-third of reported AIDS cases have been linked to injection drug use--heroin, cocaine, or any drug that abusers inject. One way that HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases are spread is through the sharing of needles or other injection equipment. But it is not only injection drug users who risk contracting or spreading infections. The intoxicating effects of all drugs of abuse affect judgment and decision making--leading users to engage in behaviors that could have dire health consequences, including the spread of HIV.

Mental Health Effects

Drug abuse might affect an existing mental disorder or result in one. More than half of those who are addicted to drugs have also had some form of mental illness--either at the same time as their addiction or at some other point in their lives. This is probably not due to chance: drugs affect many of the same brain systems that are responsible for mental disorders. There may also be common genetic and environmental causes of both. What we know from research is that long-lasting changes in the brain caused by chronic drug abuse may lead to depression, aggression, paranoia, and hallucinations.

Smoking

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing about 440,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone. Smoking leads to heart disease, lung cancer, and other lung problems, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Tobacco addiction is a direct result of nicotine--one of the many chemicals found in tobacco products--which acts on receptors in the brain and the body. Tobacco smoke also affects other body systems, changing their functions and ultimately leading to disease. Prenatal exposure to tobacco can have long-lasting effects on the next generation; and even second-hand smoke is linked to diseases in those exposed.

Read the Label

Prescription medications may be mistakenly thought of as safe because they are prescribed by a doctor for an illness--but if they are not prescribed for you, then they are not safe for you.

Abuse of prescription opioids, such as Vicodin[R] and OxyContin[R], can lead to addiction. Taking a single large dose could cause severe respiratory depression (includes difficulty in breathing or stopped breathing) that can lead to death. The same holds true for abuse of prescription central nervous system depressants, such as Xanax[R] and Valium[R].