Making appropriate decisions--

Marijuana & Alcohol Use

Charles Dumont

Jeff Fry

X83—Summer 2013

Open & Honest Communication

• Number one rule—What we discuss in this room stays in this room! If you have a story you would like to share, please be open and honest—Nobody will judge you.• HAVE FUN and get READY!!

Communication!!

• --If you have a problem there are two ways to communicate:

• VERBAL—“specific words that we use as well as the tone and loudness of our voice”

• NONVERBAL—“body language, facial expressions and gestures”

3 C’s of Decision Making

• Three step decision making process: • --What exactly is my problem? Write it down

(CLARIFY)• --Think of ways to solve this problem. Probably

many different ways to solve your problem. (CONSIDER)• --Talk through your solutions to determine which

solution will provide most positive results (CHOOSE)

Which way do I go?

Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree

What would you do??

• Women are generally more sensitive then men• I would ditch school and go with my friends• School is more work than fun• Students don’t give each other enough respect• Boys are better at sports than girls• Adults don’t give kids enough support• People can be judged by the clothes that they wear• It is better to give than to receive• Teachers are usually right• It is necessary to have a college education to make it in life• Employers don't really care whether you use drugs or not when

they are making hiring decisions?

Follow-up questions….

 • Which choice is not represented in the four choices? (“I

don’t know or care”)• How did it feel when you were forced to make a decision?• Did you always go with your friends to the same corner or

was the choice your own?• Did you feel pressure from your friends to select a

particular corner? What kinds of pressure?• Sometimes you face a dilemma (difficult choice between

two alternatives)—

• Dilemma 1—Making the grade. You have always wanted to get good grades and perform well on tests. At the same time you want to stay “connected” to friends who have pressured you to smoke weed. There’s just not enough time to prepare well for school and also hang out with this group of friends. And if you do use marijuana, it clouds your mind and makes it difficult to do well on tests. What will you decide? What will you tell your friends?

 

• Dilemma 2—This is your life. A friend tries to persuade you to smoke marijuana, arguing that it lets you chill and really relax. But an older friend that you respect told you that when you’re high you’re so laid back you’re more likely to do something really stupid—something you could regret for the rest of your life, such as having unprotected sex or possibly causing a car accident. Who are you going to believe? What will you say to the friend who is urging you to smoke?

• Dilemma 3—Trusting Ties. You want to belong. You love your family. But when friends you think are cool offer you some weed, you make the decision to smoke it; and now you find yourself lying to your family. Feeling high also makes it difficult to communicate with people who aren’t high. You find yourself fighting more at home. Friends who don’t use drugs say you seem distant and think you don’t like them. Is smoking marijuana worth trading for the trust of friends and family? How will you explain your answer to everyone involved?

Lets Play a GAME!!

1. What is the most commonly used drug in the United States?

a. Heroin

b. Cocaine

c. Alcohol

d. Marijuana

2. Name the three drugs most commonly used by children.

3. Which drug is associated with the most teenage deaths?

4. People who have not used alcohol and other drugs before their 20th birthday

a. Have no risk of becoming chemically dependent

b. Are less likely to develop a drinking problem or use illicit drugs

c. Have an increased risk of becoming chemically dependent

5. How is marijuana harmful?A. It hinders the user’s short-term memory

B. Students may find it hard to study and learn while under the influence of marijuana

C. It affects timing and coordination

D. All of the above

What exactly is a drug?

• A chemical substance that affects the central nervous system, causing changes in behavior and often addiction.

So what is addiction?

• “Compulsive, uncontrolled use of habit-forming drugs”•Many prescriptions that we get also

fall into this category and the need to follow directions is very important!

What is alcohol?

• “a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid formed by fermentation and contained in wine, beer, whiskey and other liquors. Alcohol is also used as an antifreeze, as a fuel and as a raw material for many organic chemicals”

Marijuana Use

• Marijuana is a mixture of dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana has a chemical called THC, which is a psychoactive (mind altering) ingredient.

• People smoke pot for a lot of different reasons: to feel good, to feel better, to feel different, or to fit in. Whatever the reason, drug use has consequences!

Marijuana Street Names

Astro turf

Bhang

Blunt

Boom

Chronic

Dagga

Dope

Gangster

Ganja

Grass

Hemp

Herb

Home grown

J

Kiff

Mary Jane

Nederweed

Pot

Purple Haze

Reefer

Roach

Skunk

Texas tea

Weed

How many teens abuse marijuana?

• People mistakenly believe that “everybody is doing it” and use that as an excuse to start using marijuana themselves.

• According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012), about 6.5 percent of 8th graders, 17 percent of 10th graders, and 22.9 percent of 12th graders had used marijuana in the month before the survey. Marijuana use declined from late 90’s through about 2007, but daily use is increasing (2012-6.5 percent of 12th graders reported daily use compared to only 5.1 percent in 2007).

Short Term Effects

• Problems with learning and memory• Ability to solve problems• Distorted perception (e.g., sights, sounds, time,

touch)• Diminished motor coordination• Increased heart rate, possible heart attack and

even death!

Long Term Health Effects

• Brain function• Ability to complete complex tasks could be compromised,

as well as your pursuit of academic, athletic, or other life goals that require you to be 100-percent focused and alert.

• Lung & Heart damage• Worsen the symptoms of bronchitis—cause coughing and

wheezing• May reduce the body’s ability to fight lung infections

• Addiction—About 9 percent of people who use marijuana become dependent on it!!

Alcohol Abuse??

• “Studies have shown that alcohol use by youth and young adults increases the risk of both fatal and non-fatal injuries. Research has also shown that youth who use alcohol before age 15 are five times more likely to become alcohol dependent than adults who begin drinking at age 21. Other consequences of youth alcohol use include increased risky sexual behaviors, poor school performance and increased risk of suicide and homicide” (CDC.GOV)

Questions/Comments

• “If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down”—Mary Pickford