7Ce

Drugs
book pages 52 & 53

• Describe the different types of drugs

• Explain how drugs can be harmful
 Starter

1. Consider the adjacent

picture.
2. Deduce the definition
of medicinal drugs and
list some examples.
3. Deduce the definition
of recreational drugs
and list some
examples.
 What Is a Drug?
A drug is a substance that affects the way your body works.

Drugs can be classified into two groups:

Recreational Drugs
Medicinal Legal Drugs Illegal Drugs
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 Medicinal Drugs
Medicinal drugs are given to people to help them recover from illness
or injury.

Paracetamol (Panadol) reduces pain

Ibuprofen reduces pain and swelling
Decongestants in cold medicines help you breathe more easily

Cough syrup Painkillers like Cold and flu

paracetamol medication
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 Medicinal drugs

• During an asthma attack,

the muscles surrounding
the tubes carrying air
contacts hard.

• This makes it difficult to

breathe, but a medicine can
make the muscles relax.
 Medicinal Drugs
Have
Have you ever been ill? Did an injection
a doctor
prescribe you something to feel better?
Medicine can be
taken in
Medicines are a type of drug. When
different ways. you are ill, a doctor may give you a
You could: prescription to take to aa chemist
Take to
spoon full
allow you to get drugs and treat the
of medicine
illness you have. Different drugs are
given depending on what your illness
is. water
Crush tablets into

Can you think of any illnesses that require

medicine? Discuss with your partner.

Use an inhaler
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 Medicinal Drugs
Although many drugs are useful, they can have many harmful or pleasant side-
affects.
For example, paracetamol can damage the liver.

Taking medicines in
the wrong way can
cause people harm.

Drugs often damage

the liver because this
organ breaks drugs
down.

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 Recreational drugs are drugs
Recreational
that are taken for pleasure.
drugs

Examples: Caffeine, alcohol,

cannabis, cocaine, and heroin

Not all recreational drugs are harmful.

Recreational drugs can be either legal or illegal.
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 Legal drugs There are three types of legal
drugs that are very common in
everyday life:

Alcohol

Nicotine

Even though these substances

are allowed to be sold in shops, Caffeine
people still have to be careful
when taking them.

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Coffee is a very popular drink as it
helps people feel awake. The
Caffeine
ingredient that causes this effect is
called caffeine. Caffeine is in many other foods
and drinks such as chocolate
and soft drinks.

Some energy drinks have so much

caffeine that they are only allowed
to be sold to adults because they
are dangerous for children.

If someone has too much caffeine, it can make them dizzy, make their hearts beat
too fast and stop them sleeping properly.

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 Cigarettes
Cigarettes contain nicotine,
which many people find has a
relaxing effect on them.

Smoking can damage the

lungs and cause people to
develop many diseases.

It is also harmful to smoke

around others, especially
young babies and children.

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 Alcohol
Adults over the age of 18 can buy alcohol to
drink.

Alcohol can have different effects on people.

Some people find it relaxes them and others

find that it makes them feel happy.

Alcohol can cause problems for the liver

if people drink too much. It can also
cause people to make bad choices it they
aren’t careful.

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Some drugs are illegal, which means that
Illegal Drugs
it is a crime to use them.

Many drugs are very addictive, which

Using these drugs is against the law means that users feel that they need to
because they can be very dangerous for take them all the time.
people to take.

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Cannabis: addictive and causes memory
Illegal Drugs
loss and mental illness.
Cocaine: addictive and can cause blocked
arteries.
Ecstasy: can cause mental illness, kidney
problems and even death.
Heroin: addictive, can cause collapsed
veins, vomiting and severe headaches.

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 Recreational drugs

Heroin, alcohol, solvents in

Caffeine, cocaine & ecstasy
paint & glue
 Practice

• 1. a. Suggest a sports injury that you might take medicine(s) for.

b. What medicine(s) would you take?

• 2. In an asthma attack, why is it hard to breathe?

• 3. a. What is the useful effects of paracetamol?

b. What is its side-effect?
 Practice Answerkey

• 1. a. Broken bone or strained muscle

b. ibuprofen

• 2. The tubes going to and from the lungs are narrowed (and contain
more mucus than normal).

• 3. a. reduces pain
b. damage the liver
Plenary
Why do people continue to misuse cocaine even when they see it
harming them?
They are addicted.