GRADE LEVEL: 7-8 -

CONCEPTS:

Drug use impacts both individual users and society.

OBJECTIVES:

As a result of this lessons students will be able to:

Analyze the effects of tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use on crime rates and the economy.

CORRELATION TO MO. HEALTH COMPETENCIES SUBTOPICS (specific health competencies for this lesson follow lesson):

DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

FAMILY LIFE/SEX EDUCATION

MENTAL HEALTH

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Background:

Youths between the ages of 12 to 14 are becoming more aware of their environments and their communities. This lesson shows how drug use hurts the user and society.

Activities:

Explain that drug use costs billions of dollars every year. Much of this money is spent on law enforcement, rehabilitation and prevention education. Point out that a portion of taxes that students' parents pay goes to support institutions involved in fighting the drug war - military, police, prisons, hospitals - and in preventing drug use - schools, social services, research institutions, and others.

Discuss the following:

* How do students feel about their families' having to pay for the effects of drug use?

* How else could this money be used? (examples: youth programs, educational loans, scientific research)

* How else could the United States get money to deal with the drug problem? (examples: raise taxes, use money confiscated from drug dealers)

* How would students solve the problem?

Have students complete the handout "Drugs and Crime." Go over information and responses on handout.

Resources:

Student handout - Drugs and Crime Worksheet.

Teacher Tips:

Drugs and Crime answer key:

1. 486,000 people

2. 6,000 suicides

3. $ 150, $ 1,050

4. 3,500,000 arrests

5. 17,000 accidents

6. $ 98 billion

1. Fifty-four percent of people convicted of violent crimes had used alcohol before committing the offense. If 900,000 people were arrested for violent crimes in a given period, how many had used alcohol before they were arrested?

2. Thirty percent of all suicides are at least partially attributed to alcohol. If 20,000 people commit suicide, how many of these were directly or indirectly caused by alcohol use?

3. Heroin/cocaine addicts may have to steal items three times the cost of their daily drug habit (because they get so little for reselling stolen goods). If a person has a $ 50.00 a day habit, how much would they have to steal in one day to cover their addiction? How much in a week?

4. Each year, there are some 500,000 drug related arrests. At that rate, how many total drug-related arrests will we have in seven years? In 15 years?

5. Half (50 percent) of all motor vehicle fatalities are attributable to alcohol use. If there are 34,000 motor vehicle fatalities in one year, how many can be attributable to alcohol?

6. Approximately $ 8 billion is spent on drug enforcement every year in the United States (I don't have the Canadian stats). Drug users spend $ 90 billion a year to purchase illegal drugs. If no one purchased illegal drugs for one year and no money was needed for drug enforcement that year, how much money could be used for healthier purposes?