Question

Hi,

I should answer to peer ( peer response) how he might improve their learning objectives. His Topic and learning objectives below.

Teaching Plan Topic: How to prevent substance abuse amongst adolescents and how to promote good choices amongst this age group. (learning objective should include a Bloom's Active Verb.)

Learning Objectives:

• Define addiction/abuse and the stages of addiction/abuse, as well as what leads up to addiction/abuse
• Determine the reasons why teens use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs
• Evaluate the dangers of using/experimenting with tobacco, alcohol, and/or other drugs
• Explain the negative consequences of drugs addiction and abuse
• Explain how to make good choices, prevent addiction, and watch out for signs of abuse/addiction

In order to be able to determine how to prevent substance abuse amongst teens, it is very important to actually be able to define what addition and/or abuse is. A person must also be able to define the stages of addiction/abuse and know what leads up to it. Once a person is able to define these things, it will be much easier for them to determine whether or not someone has the potential for addiction/abuse or possibly if someone is addicted or abusing. It is also very important when learning to prevent addiction and/or abuse to be able to determine the reasons why teens use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. This will help understand the concept and why/how a teen may get addicted. It is also very important to evaluate the dangers of using/experimenting with tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs among adolescents. Typically, the person who got addicted or is abusing started off with experimenting. Therefore, it is very important to understand why the experimenting started and what are the dangers associated with it. It is very important to be able to explain the consequences of drug addiction and abuse in order to help prevent it. If we do not know the consequences why should we prevent it? Therefore the consequences are definitely an important aspect to learn. Lastly, it is very important that a the end of the lesson or teaching plan, the person learning is able to explain how to make good choices when it comes to addictive substances. Also, the learner should understand and be able to explain how to prevent addiction and abuse. The learner should also be able to explain how to look out for signs and symptoms of substance addiction and/or abuse. This will help recognize the problem earlier rather than later. Overall, substance addiction and abuse is a rising problem amongst adolescents, therefore this is something very beneficial to learn about. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (2020), 86% of adolescents know someone who smokes, drinks, or uses drugs during the school day. This number is very high and very concerning. This shows explaining why teaching how to prevent drug abuse and addiction is so important.

Answer 1

Addiction is a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects.

Stages of addiction::

• Stage 1: Initiation
• Stage 2: Experimentation
• Stage 3: Regular Use
• Stage 4: Problem/Risky Use
• Stage 5: Dependence
• Stage 6: A Substance Use Disorder
• Stage 7: Treatment

Reasons why teens abuse drugs,tobacco and alcohol

• To fit in: Many teens use drugs “because others are doing it”—or they think others are doing it—and they fear not being accepted in a social circle that includes drug-using peers.
• To feel good: Abused drugs interact with the neurochemistry of the brain to produce feelings of pleasure. The intensity of this euphoria differs by the type of drug and how it is used.
• To feel better: Some adolescents suffer from depression, social anxiety, stress-related disorders, and physical pain. Using drugs may be an attempt to lessen these feelings of distress. Stress especially plays a significant role in starting and continuing drug use as well as returning to drug use (relapsing) for those recovering from an addiction.
• To do better: Ours is a very competitive society, in which the pressure to perform athletically and academically can be intense. Some adolescents may turn to certain drugs like illegal or prescription stimulants because they think those substances will enhance or improve their performance.
• To experiment: Adolescents are often motivated to seek new experiences, particularly those they perceive as thrilling or daring.

Dangers of using drugs::

Drug use can have a wide range of short- and long-term, direct and indirect effects. These effects often depend on the specific drug or drugs used, how they are taken, how much is taken, the person's health, and other factors. Short-term effects can range from changes in appetite, wakefulness, heart rate, blood pressure, and/or mood to heart attack, stroke, psychosis, overdose, and even death. These health effects may occur after just one use.

Longer-term effects can include heart or lung disease, cancer, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and others. Long-term drug use can also lead to addiction. Drug addiction is a brain disorder. Not everyone who uses drugs will become addicted, but for some, drug use can change how certain brain circuits work. These brain changes interfere with how people experience normal pleasures in life such as food and sex, their ability to control their stress level, their decision-making, their ability to learn and remember, etc. These changes make it much more difficult for someone to stop taking the drug even when it’s having negative effects on their life and they want to quit.

Drug use can also have indirect effects on both the people who are taking drugs and on those around them. This can include affecting a person’s nutrition; sleep; decision-making and impulsivity; and risk for trauma, violence, injury, and communicable diseases. Drug use can also affect babies born to women who use drugs while pregnant. Broader negative outcomes may be seen in education level, employment, housing, relationships, and criminal justice involvement.

Negative consequences of drug abuse::

• A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection
• Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and blood vessel infections from injected drugs
• Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss
• Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure
• Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage
• Lung disease
• Problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult
• Global effects of drugs on the body, such as breast development in men and increases in body temperature, which can lead to other health problems

Methods to prevent drug abuse in teens::

Ask your teen's views

• Discuss reasons not to use drugs. Avoid scare tactics. Emphasize how drug use can affect the things that are important to your teen — such as sports, driving, health and appearance.
• Consider media messages. Social media, television programs, movies and songs can glamorize or trivialize drug use. Talk about what your teen sees and hears.
• Discuss ways to resist peer pressure.Brainstorm with your teen about how to turn down offers of drugs.
• Be ready to discuss your own drug use.Think about how you'll respond if your teen asks about your own drug use. If you chose not to use drugs, explain why. If you did use drugs, share what the experience taught you.
• Know your teen's activities. Pay attention to your teen's whereabouts. Find out what adult-supervised activities your teen is interested in and encourage him or her to get involved.
• Establish rules and consequences. Explain your family rules, such as leaving a party where drug use occurs and not riding in a car with a driver who's been using drugs. If your teen breaks the rules, consistently enforce consequences.
• Know your teen's friends. If your teen's friends use drugs, your teen might feel pressure to experiment, too.
• Keep track of prescription drugs. Take an inventory of all prescription and over-the-counter medications in your home.
• Provide support. Offer praise and encouragement when your teen succeeds. A strong bond between you and your teen might help prevent your teen from using drugs.
• Set a good example. If you drink, do so in moderation. Use prescription drugs as directed. Don't use illicit drugs.