Drug Education Lectures
One of the most effective drug prevention activities is to deliver a lecture about
drugs to schoolchildren — before they succumb to peer pressure and try that first drug.
But how do you talk to students about drugs?
Provided here is an outline for a lecture (or series of lectures) about drugs taken
from the booklet, The Truth About Drugs. Gear your presentations to content suitable
for the ages of the young people you are addressing. What is suitable for teens may
be too complex for younger children.
We are not trying to make you a professional speaker on a lecture circuit, but we
do want you comfortable enough with the subject to be able to talk to parents, kids,
and other groups about drugs.
By knowing the material in The Truth About Drugs booklet, and by practicing with this
outline until you are comfortable with it, you will develop a confidence to be able to
give a simple lecture about drugs as part of your drug prevention efforts.
There are few more rewarding activities — you are saving young lives from drugs.
Start delivering such lectures to community youth groups, churches, schools,
recreational centers and libraries. Start with small groups and graduate up to larger
ones.
The key to these presentations is that they are lively and that they invite the
participation of the students. That is why we recommend combining the lecture
with one of the other activities in this manual, such as an essay contest or a
Drug-Free Marshals pledge signing. As you expand your group, we encourage
you to obtain training from professional drug education lecturers at Narconon
(info@narconon.org).
Lecture Outline
Title: “The Truth About Drugs — How much do you really know?”
Text: The Truth About Drugs booklet and guide
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Introduce Yourself
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What is a Drug?
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Ask how many of the students have heard the word “drug.” Does anybody
know what it means? Get several attempts at it. Then give the definition.
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Definition: Drug — Drugs are substances that are not food that, when put
into the body, change the way the body works or the way the person thinks
or feels.
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Definition: Illegal drug — A drug that is not allowed by law because of its
dangerous effects.
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Why do people take drugs?
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People take drugs because they want to change something
about their lives.
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Here are some of the reasons young people have given for taking
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To fit in with their peers
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To escape or relax
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To relieve boredom
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To seem more grown up
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To rebel
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To experiment
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Give examples.
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Can the students think of more reasons?
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People who take drugs think drugs are the solution. But eventually,
they become the problem because of what the drugs do to you.
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How do drugs work?
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Drugs are essentially poisons. The amount taken determines the effect. A
small amount acts as a stimulant (increases activity). A greater amount acts as a sedative (suppresses activity). A still larger amount poisons and
can kill.
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This is true of any drug. Only the amount needed to achieve the effect differs. Some drugs are so powerful that a tiny amount is very harmful.
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All drugs are dangerous.
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Drugs block off all sensations, the desirable ones with the unwanted. And while drugs might be of short-term value in the handling of pain, they wipe out ability and alertness, and muddy one's thinking.
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How do drugs affect the body?
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It has been scientifically proven that residues from drugs and other toxins
lodge in the fatty tissues of the body and stay there, even years after being
taken. These residues can continue to affect the individual adversely long
after the effect of the drug has apparently worn off.
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Such drug deposits can dislodge and begin to affect the person again, even
though one is no longer taking drugs, causing lowered perception, tiredness,
confused thinking and a host of other symptoms — all of which hinder one's
abilities and awareness.
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Show this by drawing a vein and fat on the board.
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Draw a drug going through the vein and then show how drugs flow through
the blood and stay in the fatty tissues.
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How do drugs affect the mind?
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The mind is actually an accumulation of what are called mental image
pictures, which record all your experiences moment to moment. These
pictures comprise what we generally think of as memory. You use them to
solve problems in life.
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When you think of something, you get a picture of it in the mind. These
mental image pictures are easy to see. Close your eyes and think of a cat
and you will get a picture of a cat.
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Have the students do this exercise.
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Normally, when you remember something, the mind acts quickly to provide
you information from these pictures in the mind.
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But drugs can blur or obscure mental image pictures, causing blank spots.
When you try to get information through this cloudy mess, you can't do it.
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Drugs make you feel slow or stupid and cause you to have failures in life.
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Drugs can distort the user's perception of what is happening around him. As
a result, his or her actions may appear very odd or irrational, and the person
can even become violent.
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Show this on the blackboard by drawing a person and a series of pictures in
his mind to represent experiences. Then blur some of the pictures to show
the effects of drugs. Explain how this makes it hard to think.
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There is a lot more information available in the booklet, The Truth About
Drugs. Encourage them to read it.
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Pass out copies of the The Truth About Drugs for use by the students.
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Thank the students.
