Drug-takers

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