Drug Takers


TABLE OF CONTENTS

REMEMBER ... page 3
INTRODUCTION ... page 4
WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS? ... page 4
WHAT IS A DRUG? ... page 4
EFFECTS WHICH DRUGS HAVE ON MIND & BODY ... page 5
HOW CAN DRUGS AFFECT A PERSON’S LIFE? ... page 6
DRUGS AND THE LAW ... page 7
GLOSSARY ... page 8
HANDOUT ... page 9

REMEMBER





INTRODUCTION
Today I’m going to talk about drugs and people who take drugs. This speech should give you a short summary of drugs and the problems which are going hand in hand with drugs. I don’t want to influence your opinion about alcohol, cigarettes or other drugs but it is necessary, especially for young people, to know some details about drug taking.

WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS?
There are three reasons why people take drugs:

    The first main reason people take drugs is to be accepted by their circle of friends or to permit lively wakefulness throughout week - end parties. Another reason for drug taking is to eliminate discomfort or worry. The last main reason why people find their way to drugs is boredom. All humans, especially young people, have exploratory drives toward mastering things and toward new and exciting, even dangerous, experiences.
WHAT IS A DRUG?
A drug is a chemical or plant which alters the way the mind or body works. There are thousands of different sorts of drugs. Some drugs are socially accepted, like alcohol or tobacco, and some have important medical uses and are exclusively given by doctors. And last, there are drugs like LSD, heroin or hashish, which are not socially accepted and are forbidden by law.

Here is a list of different types of drugs:
Solvents



Name
Source
How taken
Effects
Toluene
various glues
sniffed
become ‘high’
Trichloroethylene
some cleaning fluids
sniffed
become ‘high’
Butane
lighter fuel
sniffed
become ‘high’




Tablets



Name
Source
How taken
Effects
Amphetamines (speed)
made either
illegally or for
medical use
swallowed,
sniffed or
injected
stimulant
and appetite
suppression
Barbiturates
(downers)
made for
medical use
swallowed
or injected
drowsiness, sleep
and depression
Benzodiazepine
made for
medical use
swallowed
drowsiness
and sleep




Hallucinogens



Name
Source
How taken
Effects
Marijuana
(pot, grass)
dried leaves and
flowers of
cannabis
smoked
become ‘high’
or ‘stoned’
Hashish
resin from
cannabis plant
smoked or eaten
become ‘high’
or ‘stoned’
LSD
made illegally
from plants
and fungus
swallowed
a ‘trip’ of
6 to 36 hours





EFFECTS WHICH DRUGS HAVE ON MIND & BODY
There are three different ways drugs affect someone’s mind or body:

    Stimulant
That means the drug speeds up the way the brain works and wakes people up.
    Depressant
The drug slows down the way the brain works and causes sleep. (opposite of stimulant)
    Hallucinogen
By taking this kind of drug, people start seeing things which are unreal. They start seeing visions or hallucinations.
HOW CAN DRUGS AFFECT A PERSON’S LIFE?
Many people take drugs to solve problems, but drug - taking increases a person’s problems rather than solving them.

    Health
Drug - taking may affect a person’s health. He may become so dependent on drugs that he becomes physically or mentally ill.
    Work
Drug - taking may affect one’s work. It may become difficult to concentrate and getting sacked may be the result.
    Family
Persons who take drugs often become moody. Their friendships and relationships with their families may break down and loneliness may be result.
    Life
Many people on drugs are more likely to die. They die from overdoses, fatal mixtures of drugs or accidents.
    Crime
Once a person is hooked, the craving for drugs can become so great that a drug dependent will do anything to get money so that he can buy more drugs. These people might even steal, turn to prostitution or start mugging.
DRUGS AND THE LAW
Most people think that only drugs which produce physical dependence ("hard drugs") are dangerous and should be forbidden by law. But there are some "soft drugs" ,which are also producing physical dependence and can also kill people, are legal and socially accepted.
GLOSSARY



HANDOUT
WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS?
    to be accepted / to stay awake to remove discomfort boredom
WHAT IS A DRUG?
A chemical or plant which alters the way the mind or body works.
    socially accepted medical use not socially accepted
EFFECTS WHICH DRUGS HAVE ON MIND & BODY!
    Stimulant Depressant Hallucinogen
HOW CAN DRUGS AFFECT A PERSON’S LIFE?
    Health Work Family Life Crime
DRUGS AND THE LAW!

GLOSSARY

to be accepted by sb
von jemandem akzeptiert werden
wakefulness
Wachsamkeit / Schlaflosigkeit
exploratory
erforschend
getting sacked
entlassen werden
moody
launisch / trübsinnig
craving
heftiges Verlangen
to mug
ausrauben
physical dependence
körperlich abhängig
mental dependence
geistig abhängig

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