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Why some people use drugs and why most people don’t?

How to recognize the pressures to use drugs?

How to resist these pressures?

Lesson 1:

Introduction to Project ALERT

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Consideration: If instructional time is more than 40 minutes and you plan to administer the Project ALERT Pre-survey within Lesson 1, direct students to complete the survey now. Survey materials can be found in the Lesson 1 Supplemental section on the Project ALERT website.

Optional to write “Project ALERT” on the board or chart paper, or to display the first slide of Lesson 1 slides.

This is the first lesson of Project ALERT.

ALERT stands for Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training; you do not need to memorize this.

The important thing to know is that Project ALERT is about three things:

Why some people use substances and why most people don’t.
How to recognize the pressures to use substances.
How to resist these pressures.

When we use the word “drug” or “substance” in this and future lessons, we mean any chemical substance that affects the brain or body. Therefore, the words such as substance, drug, or alcohol and other drug may be used interchangeably. Some information may focus specifically on nicotine, marijuana, alcohol, and prescription drugs because these are the substances that teens are more likely to encounter.

There are eleven Project ALERT lessons which will give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to resist peer pressure and misleading messaging in order to avoid substance use. The lessons will be fun and different; they’ll teach you important facts and skills; they’ll include videos, skits, and games.

You are now at an age when you are making more of your own decisions. What are some decisions that you are making now?

Example could include:

What food to eat
How to spend money
What clothes to wear
Whether to take drugs

The decision whether to use substances is ultimately up to you. You need to know the health, legal, and social risks involved in using drugs, alcohol, and other substances so that your decisions can ensure a healthy, safe lifestyle.

No one can make you use drugs if you don’t want to. Project ALERT will help find ways for you to say “no” if you feel pressured.

Today, we will talk about why some people use nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol, and also the reasons why most people have decided not to use these substances.

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STUDENT GROUND RULES

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TEACHER GROUND RULES

LISTEN

I will listen carefully to what you have to say and treat all responses with respect.

ENCOURAGE

RESPECT

I will treat our discussions with respect. I will keep things I hear in class private or confidential, unless I as the teacher am concerned about your wellbeing or safety.

I will encourage all students to participate in the program's activities.

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Reasons People Use

Group 1: Reasons Why People Might Use Nicotine

Group 2: Reasons Not to Use Nicotine

Group 3: Reasons Why People Might Use Marijuana

Group 4: Reasons Not to Use Marijuana

Now we are going to do an activity in small groups in which you will write some reasons why some people might use nicotine or marijuana and some reasons why most people do not use these substances.

I’m going to divide the class into four groups. Each group will get a sheet of paper and be assigned one category to make one of the following lists:

Group 1: Reasons why people might use nicotine
Group 2: Reasons not to use nicotine
Group 3: Reasons why people might use marijuana
Group 4: Reasons not to use marijuana

Each group should list at least five reasons on their sheet.

Each group will appoint a Recorder who will write down the group’s responses, and each group will appoint a Reporter who will read aloud the group’s responses to the class.

You’ll have five minutes to work together to complete your lists.

Break students into groups, distribute a sheet to the groups’ chosen Recorder, and assign a category to each group.

While students work in small groups circulate to help groups as needed.

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Reasons People Use

Group 1: Reasons Why People Might Use Nicotine

Time is up. We will hear from the first Reporter and display the lists. Let’s begin with the Reporter of Group 1: Reasons why people might use nicotine.

Reporter presents reasons why people might use nicotine.

Add “Peer Pressure” onto the list of reasons why, if it has not already been mentioned.

Optional to ask the class for additional ideas.

Typical student responses for nicotine use include:

Friends do it, Peer Pressure
Cool, sophisticated
Rebellion
Parents smoke
Dependence, Addiction
Cope with emotions
Curiosity
Nervous

Correct any myths, misconceptions, or wrong information. If the lists contain any of the myths below, circle and correct them, acknowledging the kernel of truth (that many people believe it or that some aspect of it is true).

Do NOT discuss myths not mentioned by students.

Nicotine Myths

Myth: They help you think clearly.

Myth: They calm you down.

Myth: They keep you thin.

Myth: It’s easy to quit later.

Myth: Vaping is safer than regular cigarettes.

Myth: Vaping is a good way to quit smoking.

Myth: Flavored vaping is safe.

If students suggest or defend the practice of only vaping:

Research shows that teens that “vape only” are much more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes and co-using them with e-cigarettes, thereby increasing the amount of nicotine they consume and exposing themselves to all the health risks associated with smoking traditional cigarettes.

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Reasons Not to Use

Group 2: Reasons Not to Use Nicotine

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Reasons People Use

Group 3: Reasons Why People Might Use Marijuana

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Reasons Not to Use

Group 4: Reasons Not to Use Marijuana

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Let’s Compare

Marijuana and Alcohol

Looking at the list of reasons why people use marijuana, which reasons might also be true for alcohol?

Checkmark all the reasons.

Point to the list of reasons not to use marijuana.

Ask: Which reasons for not using marijuana are also true for alcohol?

Checkmark all the reasons.

What do you notice about alcohol and marijuana?

Right, people don’t drink alcohol and don’t use marijuana for a lot of the same reasons.

Very few middle schoolers – less than 10% – use nicotine, alcohol, or marijuana across the United States. Nearly all middle schoolers choose not to use nicotine, alcohol, or marijuana.

Reinforce the idea that both alcohol and marijuana are substances that impair brain and body function and are habit-forming.

Save the Reasons Why People Use Marijuana visual for a future lesson.

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Video: Let’s Talk About Marijuana

https://www.projectalert.com/videos �

Now we’ll see a video in which older teens talk about reasons why people might use marijuana and why they do not. Listen carefully to hear if the older teens describe any reasons that we didn’t put onto our lists.

Show the video: Let’s talk about Marijuana

After showing the video, you will lead the class in a discussion about the reasons described by the older teens and tie your students’ reasons lists.

Discussion goals:

Compare marijuana and alcohol so students will see that these substances often are used for the same reasons.
Clarify and reinforce reasons not to use marijuana and alcohol by showing the negative effects are similar.

Top Five Reasons Lists from Video: Let’s Talk about Marijuana

Why might people start to use marijuana?

Friends do it, peer pressure, peer acceptance
Cool, influencers, famous stars, social media pressure
Cope with emotions, like depression, stress, or anxiety, (including anxiety in social situations)
Curiosity
Rebellion

Why might people choose NOT to use marijuana?

Harms brain, distorts perception, harms your lungs, harms reproductive health, hurts your health, screws up your body
Can't think clearly, can't concentrate, no train of thought, makes you anxious or panicked, makes you feel sick or dizzy
Problems remain (doesn’t solve problems)
Dependency or addiction, could start to depend on it for temporary effect, could lead to more drug and other drug use
It's illegal (for kids everywhere), you don’t always know what’s in it, and also THC-edibles are hard to determine strength, unpredictable concentration, risk of poisoning

What are some of the reasons those teens gave for why people might start using marijuana?

After each reason, refer to it on the students’ marijuana list or write the new reason on the students’ list. For each new reason that gets added to the list, ask: Is this also true for drinking alcohol?

What are some of the reasons those teens gave for NOT using marijuana?

�After each reason, refer to it on the relevant students’ list or write the new reason on the list. For each new reason added to the list, ask: Is this also true for drinking alcohol?

You have done a good job listing the reasons why people use nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol and the reasons not to – and showing how similar many of these reasons are.

Even the majority of high schoolers do not use nicotine, marijuana, or alcohol.

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Wrap-up

Today We:

Set ground rules
Thought about reasons why and why not to try nicotine and marijuana
Learned there are similar reasons to resist both substances

Next Lesson We Will:

Talk about what really happens when someone smokes or vapes nicotine or marijuana

Today, we had our first Project ALERT lesson. We set ground rules for safe and confidential conversations. We thought about the reasons why someone might use nicotine, marijuana, or alcohol and realized the reasons are similar or the same. We also learned that there are similar reasons to resist these substances. Remember the decision whether to use substances or not is ultimately up to you. And remember that nearly all middle schoolers do not use substances, so you are in the majority when you choose to be substance-free.

During Project ALERT, we will talk more about reasons not to use substances. We’ll also learn skills that will help you resist the pressures to use them.

Project ALERT is going to help us learn why we ultimately want to say “no” and will help us practice saying “no” to a variety of substances in a variety of situations.

In the next lesson, we’ll talk about what really happens when someone smokes or vapes nicotine or marijuana.

Provide positive reinforcement for students' knowledge, participation, and attention during this lesson.

Save the following visuals for future lessons:

Ground Rules: Students
Reasons Why People Use Marijuana