Drug Education Student Booklet

For more information see positivechoices.org.au Drugs & Alcohol: What You Need to Know 3 WHAT IS A DRUG? Drugs (including alcohol) are substances that affect the way the body functions when they are used. If a drug is illegal it means that it is forbidden by law. Different drugs have different effects on people, and different factors can impact on the experience of drug use. These include: ● the drug itself (e.g. the pharmacological properties of the substance being taken); ● the individual taking the drug (e.g. age, sex, physical and mental health of a person); ● the environment (the setting where the drug is being used, which can be legal, cultural or situational). Drinking two or three beers might be relatively low risk for a healthy adult but the risk of harm increases if they drink on an empty stomach, try to drive a car after drinking, or have a pre- existing health problem. The effects of drugs, including alcohol, are influenced by many factors which make them unpredictable and potentially dangerous, especially for young people. On pages 17-32 you will find a list of common drugs and their effects. THE TYPE OF DRUG HOW MUCH IS CONSUMED INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS BODY SIZE AND HEALTH VULNERABILITIES WHAT THE PERSON IS DOING WHILE USING THE DRUGS HOW MANY DIFFERENT DRUGS ARE TAKEN AT ONE TIME WHERE THE PERSON IS WHEN THE DRUG IS BEING USED The effects of a drug are influenced by