Project ALERT

Program Overview

Contents
Lesson Outline
3 3 3 4 4 8 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 17 18 19 20 22 Goals Summary of Activities Description Preparation Materials Needed Introduce Lesson Make List of Reasons Why People Drink Make List of Consequences of Drinking Discuss How Alcohol Is Used to Cover Feelings Discuss Alternatives to Drinking Play the Alcohol Facts Game Wrap-up What Teenagers Want to Know About Alcohol Reasons Why People Drink What Can Happen to You When You Drink Alcohol? Alcohol Facts Game: follow-up Information Myths and Facts About Alcohol Biggest Dangers with Alcohol Drinking alcohol Alcohol Facts

Activities

Teacher Reference

Student Handouts Posters

24 25 27 28 29

Alternatives to Drinking Alcohol Facts Game Poster 6: Alcohol Can Harm You Any Time You Drink Poster 7: Alcohol Can Damage You in the Long Run Poster 8: Drinking to Cover Feelings

Project ALERT Lesson 3

Lesson Outline
Goals
1. 2. 3. 4. To demonstrate the similarities between using marijuana and alcohol To increase students perception that drinking alcohol has serious consequences that can immediately affect their daily lives and social relationships To motivate students to resist drinking alcohol by helping them identify the social, psychological, and physical consequences To present alternatives to drinking

Summary of Activities
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Introduce Lesson (1 min.) Make List of Reasons Why People Drink (5 min.) Make List of Consequences of Drinking (9 min.) Discuss How Alcohol Is Used to Cover Feelings (8 min.) Discuss Alternatives to Drinking (5 min.) Play the Alcohol Facts Game (14 min.) Show Video: Pot; The Party Crashers Wrap-up (3 min.)

Description
In this lesson, Activities 2 and 3 ask students to make lists of reasons and consequences for alcohol use that are similar to lists they made for cigarette and marijuana use in Lessons 1 and 2. Similar consequences between drinking and smoking marijuana are identified. In Activity 4, discussion allows the teacher to point out that any time you consume alcohol you are in danger of using the substance as a quick fix, to avoid problems or cover up feelings rather than learning how to deal with them. Activity 5 helps students find alternatives to drinking - activities they can engage in rather than drinking when negative feelings arise. The Alcohol Facts Game (Activity 6) reinforces information learned about alcohol and teaches new facts.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

Preparation
Review Lesson Plan Be familiar with the Alcohol Facts Game - Student Handout (pages 19-21) Game materials are supported by Alcohol Facts Game: Follow-Up Information - Teacher Refer ence (page 11) Review: Lesson 2 homework reading assignment: What Teenagers Want to Know About Alcohol Student Handout (pages 7-8) Myths and Facts About Alcohol - Teacher Reference (page 12) Biggest Dangers with Alcohol - Teacher Reference (pages 13-15) Alcohol Facts - Teacher Reference (pages 16-17) Collect and prepare materials, as indicated below

Materials Needed
Assemble the following materials: Completed visual: Ground Rules: Students (saved from Lesson 1) Completed visual: Reasons Why People Use Marijuana (saved from Lesson 1) Posters: Poster 6: Alcohol Can Harm You Any Time You Drink Poster 7: Alcohol Can Damage You in the Long Run Poster 8: Drinking to Cover Feelings Paper (8 1/2 x 11) and thick, felt-tip, nontoxic markers for Alcohol Facts Game - Student Handout

Prepare the following materials: Partial visual (Activity 3) on chart paper or on the board: What Can Happen to You When You Drink Alcohol? (title, with space to record students responses) Copy Alternatives to Drinking - Student Handout (page 18) for each student 6 copies of Alcohol Facts Game - Student Handout (pages 19-21), cut into strips, each with one fact listed Copy Alternatives to Drinking - Student Handout (page 18) for each student

Project ALERT Lesson 3

Activities
1. Introduce Lesson (1 min.)
A. B. Display visual: Ground Rules: Students. Teacher Dialogue Today, we are going to talk about drinking alcohol - why people drink, and what happens to you when you drink. Then were going to play a game re viewing some facts about alcohol.

2.

Make List of Reasons Why People Drink (5 min.)

A. Display visual from Lesson 1: Reasons Why People Use Marijuana. These are the reasons that you listed in Lesson 1 for why people use marijuana. The ones that are checked are also true for alcohol. Read the checked items. Are there any other reasons why people might drink? Be sure to elicit escaping uncomfortable feelings or problems by asking, What feelings might make young people want to drink? (shyness, anger, loneliness, boredom). Write new reasons on the students list. Reinforce students reasons and praise their good work.

B.

C.

Refer to the sample visual on page 9 to make sure the discussion has focused on key reasons. Add the starred reasons shown before you draw the discussion to a close, if students have not already mentioned them.

3.

Make List of Consequences of Drinking (9 min.)

A. Display visual: What Can Happen to You When You Drink Alcohol? Include the headings Any Time and Regular or Heavy Drinking, leaving space between. (See sample visual, Teacher Reference, page 10) Now lets talk about what happens to you when you drink alcohol. Refer to the sample visual on page 3.10 and conduct a discussion of the effects for each time category. 1. Why might someone decide not to drink at a party? What can happen when someone drinks - even just once? Write students answers (lose control,

B.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

2.

What can happen to people who drink regularly? Write students answers (alcoholism; depression; suicidal feelings; trouble at school, home or in relation ships) on the visual, under the Regular or Heavy Drinking heading. Be sure that starred items from the sample visual - Teacher Reference (page 10 ) are included on the completed visual. Display the poster Alcohol Can Harm You Any Time You Drink and summarize by saying that alcohol, like marijuana, can be dangerous even if used just once. Display the poster Alcohol Can Damage You in the Long Run and summarize alcohol consequences as shown.

3. 4.

5.

Consequences of Drinking Alcohol

1. 2. 3. 4. Even one drink can make you feel out of control and affect your coordination and judgment. You may do things that you later regret. Drinking alcohol is related to many problems, including car crashes, violence, suicide, unwanted sex, drowning, and fire deaths. Chugging large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time puts you at risk for coma and even death. After a while, you can become addicted to alcohol.

B.

Praise students for knowing so much about the problems of drinking.

4.

Discuss How Alcohol Is Used to Cover Feelings (8 min.)

A. B. Display poster: Drinking to Cover Feelings. For two or three of the emotions on the poster (sadness, anger, insecurity, bore dom, stress, loneliness), ask students for an example of when someone might feel that way. If students have trouble identifying examples of emotions, ask them how they would feel if they got a bad grade, their school lost the championship, or

Project ALERT Lesson 3

C. D. E.

Now here you are, youre feeling sad, and you think you might drink a beer. What happens when the beer wears off? (You still feel depressed.) Using typical student (or your own) examples of when uncomfortable feelings might occur, discuss the idea that using alcohol to cover feelings means you never learn how to deal with those feelings. For example: 1. Jane felt insecure and shy at a party, so she drank a beer. The beer made her feel better for a little while, so every time she went to a party she had a beer. Now Jane is twenty years old, and shes afraid to go to a party and talk to people unless she has a drink. Why is drinking not a good way to cope with insecure feelings? Every time Rob gets mad at his parents, he goes out drinking. Does drinking help Rob work things out with his parents? (No. He needs to stay and work out their problems.)

2.

Discussion Points
1. 2. Alcohol seems to make uncomfortable feelings go away, but it only masks them for a little while. When teens drink to get rid of uncomfortable feelings, 3. they dont learn how to cope with those feelings. they may become dependent on alcohol to feel good.

Part of growing up is learning to cope with your emotions.

E.

Summarize by saying, One of the things about growing up is learning to cope with uncomfortable feelings. When you use alcohol to cover up feelings, you dont learn how to deal with your problems.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

B.

Read aloud each category of feelings, and ask students to write down one thing the person could do instead of drinking to feel better. Allow a minute or two for students to write alternatives. For each category, ask two students to suggest an alternative (shoot some baskets, contact a friend, listen to music, talk about the problem). Many of the same things work for different problems. For example, talking to someone can help you work out anger or frustration. Praise students for their good ideas, and ask them to complete the handout for homework.

C. D. E.

6.

Play the Alcohol Facts Game

A. B.

(14 min.)

Now we are going to play a game about alcohol facts. Explain that the Alcohol Facts Game will reinforce what was taught in this lesson. Explain the rules: 1. 2. We will separate into teams of equal size. Each team will select an Illustrator. The Illustrator will be given a fact about alcohol, which will include some illustration ideas about how to draw it. You can use your own ideas, too. Only the Illustrator sees the alcohol fact. When I say go, the Illustra tor will draw a picture to illustrate the fact. The other team members have to guess the fact from the picture. If they guess it, the Illustrator will write the fact on the picture. Illustrators should work quickly - youll only have two or three minutes to do it. Dont try to create a great work of art. Try to communicate the idea, not the exact words. You can help your teammates by acting the il lustration out, and you can take shortcuts like writing numbers, or labels and signs. All teams will be working on the same fact so work closely and quickly with your team. When I call times up, each team should hold up its picture. When I call times up, each team should hold up its picture.

3.

4.

5. 6. 7.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

C. D.

First, lets all agree on a few symbols you will need for the game. Ask students how they might represent the following: Alcohol (beer can or wine glass) Addiction (chains) Sober (happy face) Unhappy feelings (sad face) Draw their suggested pictures on the board. Tell students that for some small words, or if they really get stuck on one word, its okay to write it out.

E. F.

Divide the class into teams. The number of teams depends on class size. Each team should have about six students. Ask each team to choose its first Illustrator. You act as Scorekeeper. Students dont need to guess the fact exactly, the point is to get the information across. You can determine if what they have come up with is close enough to accept. Remind them to think back over the lesson, that all the facts in the game will come from what theyve just learned. Provide each Illustrator with paper to draw on, a marker, and the strip of paper listing Fact 1. (Option: distribute different facts to different groups. In this case, de-empha size scoring or students might claim that the other groups had easier facts than we did.) Say, Ready, set, go! Allow two or three minutes for each drawing. Call, Times up! Ask team Recorders to say the fact. On the board, record points for each team. Add appropriate comments about the fact, using the Follow-up Information provided (Teacher Reference, page 11). Distribute the strips with Fact 2, and proceed as before. You may vary the game by making a related statement before handing out a new fact. For example, ask, How long before youre not high anymore after a can of beer? (at least one hour), and then hand out Fact 3. Continue playing the game until three minutes before the end of the class period. At the end of the game, add up the scores and declare that all teams did a great job. On the board, record points for each team. Add appropriate comments about the fact, using the Follow-up Information provided (Teacher Reference, page 11).

G.

H. I. J

K. L. M.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

7.

Show Video: Pot; The Party Crashers (9 min)

A. Heres a question that many young people ask: Can Marijuana hurt you if you use it just once? Now well see a video that answers that question. Show the video

B.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

10

8.

Wrap-up (3 min)
A. B. C. D. E. Reassemble the class. Today we have discussed why people might want to drink and what can happen to you if you do drink. Youve come up with good alternatives to drinking and have been very creative in showing your team members some facts about alcohol. In next weeks lesson we will have a chance to see how advertisers create pres sures to use drugs. Homework: 1. Complete the Alternatives to Drinking sheet - Student Handout.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

11

Teacher Reference
What Teenagers Want to Know About Alcohol
Did you know?
Alcohol can be deadly. If you drink a quart of vodka at one sitting, it can kill you (drink ing games where large amounts of alcohol are ingested over a short period of time, including beer pong, chugging or super charging). Alcohol is a powerful depressant. It slows breathing and heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Once you drink, nothing sobers you up but time, at least one hour for each ounce of alcohol consumed (whether a mixed drink, a can of beer, or a glass of wine). Alcohol-related car crashes are a leading cause of death to teenagers.

What happens when a person drinks alcohol?

The first thing that happens is loss of judgment (this can happen with only one drink). It could mean: Drinking and deciding to drive, or getting into a car with someone who has been drinking. Drinking and deciding to do something you later regret (have sex, do something physically dangerous, steal). The next thing that happens when you drink is loss of coordination (this can happen with two or three beers). It could mean: Getting into a car crash and hurting yourself or other people. Losing your balance and falling, or going swimming and drowning. If you drink regularly (like partying on weekends), drinking may interfere with your ability to cope with emotions. This means: Drinking every time you feel nervous in social situations (party, date). Result: you dont learn how to feel less nervous without drinking. Drinking every time you feel angry, depressed, bored, or lonely.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

12

Result: you dont learn how to cope with these feelings without the aid of alcohol.

What can happen if you drink regularly over time?

Addiction. Alcohol is mentally and physically addicting. This means that you need to drink in order to feel okay. Alcoholism is the word used for addiction to alcohol. Teen brains are still developing. Research shows that heavy drinking in teens can cause long-lasting harm to thinking abilities. Liver damage, nerve damage, brain damage. Death.

Who drinks? Who becomes an alcoholic?

Many adults dont drink alcohol at all. Of the adults who drink alcohol, three out of every ten drink regularly and one out of ten will become an alcoholic. The more a teenager drinks over time, the more likely it is that he or she will become an alcoholic. The younger you are when you start drinking the greater the chance of addiction; 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become an alcoholic. Even if you are not an alcoholic, heavy drinking can hurt your family, your life at school, and your friendships. Teenagers who come from families in which a family member is an alcoholic are twice as likely to become alcoholics themselves. However, most of teens in this situation do not become alcoholics.

What are the signs that a teenager could be dependent on alcohol?

Drinking every day. Drinking regularly to relieve shyness, anger, fear. Drinking in the morning. Drinking alone regularly. Needing a drink at a certain time every day. Having a loss of memory during or after drinking. Becoming more moody or irritable after drinking. 13

Project ALERT Lesson 3

Depending on alcohol to deal with difficult or uncomfortable situations or feelings (stress, conflict, disappointment, loss) Craving a strong need or urge to drink Loss of control, not being able to stop or cut down drinking Not feeling well after drinking: upset stomach, headaches, sweating, shakiness or nervousness Neglecting activities; cutting back or giving up on other activities Continuing to drink even though alcohol is causing problems

Even if only one of these signs applies to you, you could be in danger of becoming alcohol dependent.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

14

Reasons Why People Drink (to add to students list saved from Lesson 1)
*Friends do it Cool, sophisticated Rebellion Parents drink To escape problems, responsibility *To escape feelings: depression, shyness, loneliness, nervousness, anger, boredom Think its less harmful than marijuana or other drugs (but its not) Like the feeling of getting high Curiosity, to experiment Think it tastes good Ads make it seem fun, sexy Alcohol is easy to get Seems more legal than marijuana (but is not legal for teenagers)
*Should be included on students list

Project ALERT Lesson 3

15

What Can Happen to You When You Drink Alcohol? (Sample visual)
Any time
* Do something you might regret (loss of judgment, ride with driver who has been drinking, sex, vandalism, violence) * Cant drive safely (Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, and of these fatalities, one-third are alcohol related.) * Lose control (poor coordination, dizzy, bump into things, fall down) Get into other accidents (drown, fall off roof) Drunk, act silly Slurred speech (cant speak clearly) Throw up Pass out Hangover

Regular or heavy drinking

* Addiction, alcoholism (Body needs alcohol to feel normal; 10% of all drinkers become alcoholics.) * Lose interest in school, friends, life * Suicidal feelings/depression (More than half of teenagers who attempt or commit suicide are involved with alcohol or other drugs.) * Death Brain damage (wet brain) Nerve damage Liver damage

*Should be included on students list

Project ALERT Lesson 3

16

Alcohol Facts Game: follow-up Information

1. A can of beer = a glass of wine = a shot of liquor = a mixed drink.
All have about the same amount of alcohol.

2.

Alcohol can be poisonous.

Alcohol can kill you. If you drink a large amount of alcohol at once (for example, a quart of vodka, but the exact amount varies for each person), your body cant process it fast enough and you could pass out, go into a coma, and die.

3.

Coffee and cold showers do not make you sober. Only time makes you sober.
In general, it takes approximately one hour for one standard drink (5 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of liquor, 12 ounces of beer) to be processed by the liver.

4. 5.

When alcohol wears off, uncomfortable feelings and problems are still there. Drinking and driving dont mix.
Even one drink can affect your ability to drive safely.

6.

If a parent is an alcoholic, the child might become one, too.

If somebody in your family is an alcoholic, there is a higher risk that you could become an alcoholic, too.

7. 8.

Alcohol can be addicting. Alcohol can affect your judgment.

You might do something you will regret later.

9. 10. 11. 12.

Alcohol is as dangerous as marijuana. Alcohol can make you pass out. If a pregnant woman drinks, her unborn baby is drinking, too. One out of every ten drinkers in this country will become an alcoholic.

Project ALERT Lesson 3

17

Student Handouts

Project ALERT Lesson 3

18

Project ALERT Lesson 3

19

Project ALERT Lesson 3

20

Project ALERT Lesson 3

21

Project ALERT Lesson 3

22

Posters

Project ALERT Lesson 3

23