This resource raises awareness of the risks associated with drug misuse in the context of choice and personal decision-making.

Full Description:   

Understanding Drugs covers the social, legal, medical and moral aspects of these complex topics.

In-depth factfiles, set out in a consistent, easy-to-use format, are provided on 17 drug groups including alcohol, amphetamines, caffeine, LSD, over-the-counter medicines and tobacco. The factfiles provide comprehensive information including what the drugs are, the physical and psychological effects of their use, overdose, physical and psychological dependence, legal status and alternative names.

This resource raises awareness of the risks associated with drug misuse in the context of choice and personal decision-making.

Content includes: Provides extensive coverage of legal and illegal drugs, looks at drug use and dependence, examines drug use in sports, explores links between drugs, sex and pregnancy, and considers the link between drug misuse and infectious diseases.

Sample Chapter and Activity

This is a series of role-play siuations carried out in pairs. The group can decide whether to have one or more pairs role-play and the rest of the group observing, or whether the whole group is to role-play. In each role-play, one person takes the role of counselor, the other is a person with a particular concern surrounding drugs.

The role of the counselor is not to solve someone's problem for them. Rather, the counselor must help the person to clarify what is worrying them and , if there really is a problem, to help them to explore ways of approaching it. The counselor can certainly provide information and guidance but it is not for them to tell the other person what to do. Nor must the counselor tell the person what they would do if they were in the other person's situation. We are all different and it often does not help to know how someone else would respond. A counselor must remember that listening is as important as talking and they must encourage the other person to be as open and honest as possible. It is up to the counselor to set the scene: where the meeting is taking place, how to use what space and props are available; this may be restricting in a a school setting with only chairs and tables available.

A role card is provided for the counselor. The other person is given one of the individual role cards and allowed to have a few minutes if they wish to think about their role, how they might respond and what they might and might not say and feel.

How the exercise is set up will influence the way follow-up discussion is organised. If observers exist they can be invited to comment on what they have seen, not only on what was said but how it was conducted and what progress was made in addressing the problem. The participants can comment on how they felt about their roles, what aspects they found easy and difficult and what progres they felt was made in clarifying issues.

At the end of the session it is important that everyone "deroles" ie becomes themselves rather than continuing in role. This can be done by allowing enough time at the end of the session for everyone to talk as themselves, out of role.

Counselor Role:
• You are a counselor. This means that you help people to look clearly at things that concern them and allow them to explore the various courses of action which might be open to them.
• You are a good listener
• You create an atmosphere in which a person feels confortable and feels able to talk freely and in confidence about things that concern them, often personal things
• You do not solve peoples problems for them. Instead, you help them to identify possible solutions and to reach their own conclusions.

You are 50 years old and have a 25 year-old son who left home at the age of 16. He is living with you again as he is unemployed and was hoemless for a year. For the last four years he has been taking heroin, mainly injecting it. You found out about this when he moved back home and obviously you are worried. You haven't asked too closely but strongly suspect that he steals and deals in drugs to get enough money to support his habit. He says that he wants to give up but has never sought any help.

240 photocopyable masters; 11 X 12;hard ring binder

Introduction and user's guide
Factfiles:
Alcohol
Alkylnitrites
Amphetamine
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines
Caffeine
Cannabis
Cocaine
Ecstasy
Ketamine
LSD
Magic Mushrooms
Opiates
Over-the-counter medicines
Phencyclidine
Solvents
Tobacco

Drug Briefings:
Alcohol
Amphetamine
Caffine
Cannabis
Cocaine
Ecstasy
Heroin
LSD
Magic Mushrooms
Solcents
Tobacco
Tranquillisers

Chapters and Activities
What do you know about .....?
Drugs and the law
Drugs and the law - discussion questions
What fo you know about drugs and the law?
What do you know about drugs and the law - answer sheets
Drugs and sports
Drugs and sport - discussion questions
Drugs, sex and pregnancy
Hooked on profit
Getting going on drugs
Talking about drugs
Drug Questionnaire
Drugs Questionnaire - answers
Drug opinions
Why use drugs?
Harm reduction
Harm reducation - suggested measures
How is it taken
How is it taken - answers
Drugs: true or false
Drugs: true or false - answers
Images of drugs
Consequences
Think tank
Drug leagues
Which drug is it?
Happy family
Dear Chris
Streetnames
The word on the street
The word on the street - answers
Do you agree?
Missing words
Missing words - answers
Drugs and teenagers
Drugs in school
A father's painful decision
What would you do? - a decion making exercises
Talking about heroin
The cannabis debate
What do you know about alcohol?
What do you know about alcohol? - answers
Thinking about drinking
You and alcohol
Do you have an alcohol problem?
A drinking diary
On alcohol
On alcohol - answers
What do you know abour smoking?
What do you know about smoking - answers
On smoking
On smoking - answers
Smoking opinions
Further exercises
Resources
Glossary

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