Bell Ringer Open your student workbook to page 56. Imagine you have a friend who gets in trouble because of drinking or using drugs. Under the heading titled Journal Entry, write a few sentences or draw a picture describing how you will feel when you hear the news.

Unit 5: Tobacco, Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention Lesson 8: Drugs and the Law

Healthy Behavior Outcomes Avoid misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Avoid the use of illegal drugs.

Lesson Objectives By the end of this lesson, you should be able to: Summarize school rules and community laws about tobacco, alcohol and other drug use. Analyze the relationship between using alcohol or other drugs and other health risks. Analyze how school rules and community laws influence behaviors around alcohol and other drug use.

Turn in your workbooks to page 27. In your group, read and review the policies for Middletown High School and discuss.

What were the important points covered in the policies? It is illegal to possess or use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs on school grounds. The school must be notified if a student is taking a prescription drug. Students found using or in possession of drugs will be subject to disciplinary action. If state law is violated, the police will be called and the student arrested. It is illegal to sell or distribute tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs on school grounds. Penalties for possession and/or sale of drugs may include suspension, expulsion, jail time and fines. Assault and battery are violations of school policy and state law. Penalties for assault and battery may include suspension, expulsion, jail time and fines.

Turn in your workbooks to page 28. In your group, read the case study of a situation that could have occurred on a school campus. As you read the story, look for all the ways the sample policy was violated.

In what ways did Nate violate school policy? In what ways did Nate break the law?

Summary Nate was in violation of the school policy against possession and use of drugs on school grounds. He also violated the school policy against assault, which is why the police were called. Nate broke the law when he drank alcohol because he is under legal age. He also broke the law by assaulting another student and having an open bottle of alcohol in his car.

Do you think Nate would have become violent if he had not been drinking? What is the relationship between drinking and using other drugs and other risky behaviors, such as violence?

Summary Drinking or using other drugs can increase the chances of being involved in other risky behaviors. Drinking and drug use can impair judgement and lower inhibitions. It can make a person more likely to be injured or injure someone else, engage in violence or be a victim of violence, or take sexual risks.

How would the outcome of Nate’s story have been the same or different based on our school policies? How would the outcome of Nate’s story been the same or different based on our state or local laws?

Summary The language used and some of the specifics may vary, but all state and local laws will be in agreement with the federal law that prohibits the sale, purchase, possession, and use of alcohol by people under age 21, the sale of tobacco products to people under age 18, and the use and possession of illegal drugs.

Why do you think there are federal, state, and local laws related to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs?

Summary Laws are made to protect people from harm. Tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs contribute to health problems, chronic disease and thousands of deaths each year. Exposure to secondhand smoke puts people at risk of illness and disease, which is why smoking is often prohibited in public spaces. Alcohol and other drug use is a leading contributor to violent crimes, unintentional injuries, murder and suicides, which is why laws against drugs are made to try to minimize risks and help keep people safe. Drug laws and age restrictions on tobacco products and alcohol are intended to protect young people from the negative effects of drugs.

What is one school, local or state law that you learned about in this lesson and why is this law important?