Teens, Crime, and the Community
Session 20
Learning Objectives: In this session, teens examine the causes and impact of teen drug abuse, then consider what they . . .
Learning Objectives:
In this session, teens examine the causes and impact of teen drug abuse, then consider what they – as individuals and as members of their community – can do to help solve this problem.
Tips to Enhance Session 20:-
Ask students to take an interactive brain quiz (during Step C) to learn how marijuana can effect the brain.
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Have students view online MethStories to teach them how drugs can dismantle and destroy real people’s lives (to supplement Steps C and D). (Please view stories beforehand to determine if the language is appropriate for your classroom.)
Web Resources:-
Freevibe: Provides specific information for youth about the dangers posed by drugs, warning signs that someone is using drugs, and facts about drug use.
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Office of National Drug Control Policy: Drug Fact, Juveniles and Drugs: Includes statistics about drug use by young people, and the detrimental health effects of various drugs.
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The Partnership for a Drug-Free America: This comprehensive website provides information for parents and teens about the dangers of drugs, the prevalence of drugs, articles written by former addicts, and more. Check out their Faces of Meth web page to witness the effects of methamphetamine on real people.
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The Truth: An interactive website providing facts about cigarettes (such as their toxins and hazards).
Community Resource People:-
Narcotics officer: Can provide information about the consequences of drug use.
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Nurse or Drug treatment counselor: Can teach students about the physical and mental costs of drug abuse.
The CRP will be especially useful during Steps D and E.
Don’t forget to give the community resource person the session materials at least one week before he or she will participate in your class.
Service-Learning Project Ideas:-
Short Project: Students can create a zine (a self-published, independent magazine) focused on the dangers of various drugs that are prevalent in their community. The zine can include poetry, artwork, essays, and factual information about the dangers of substance abuse and the negative consequences that substance abuse has on their community.
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Medium-Length Project: Teens can raise awareness about the dangers of cigarettes by writing articles on a regular basis for their school or local newspaper. Then, students can hold a smoking prevention and smoking cessation event during the Great American Smokeout.
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Long Project: Students can coordinate a Heath Fair at their site. The fair should last a finite amount of time (such as a week) and include speakers, events, prizes, etc., to teach youth how to take care of their bodies. Information about the dangers of substance abuse should be disseminated.
