RISK FACTORS QUIZ Copyright © Health Education Today 2016

Pair / Share: What are some things that can happen in a child or teen’s life to cause them to turn to and become addicted to drugs and alcohol?

Addiction is the interaction between a drug and a person With the very first use, chemical changes occur in the brain that might lead to addiction… Some teens who use drugs will become addicted, and some won’t. There are risk factors from a teen’s life and childhood - in their family genetics, their home life, their own drug use, their social life, their self-perception, and their school experiences, etc. that put them MORE AT RISK for drug addiction. Are you at risk for addiction???-Take this quiz and see…

#1: Multiple Choice If you have both parents who are/were alcoholics, you have a (an) ______ chance of also being an alcoholic: A) 50% B) 60% C) 80%

RISK FACTOR: 1. Family genetics Write the words in maroon here RISK FACTOR: 1. Family genetics C If you have both parents who are/were alcoholics, you have an 80% chance of also being an alcoholic.

#2: Multiple Choice: Teens who use marijuana weekly have _____ of depression later in life: A) No risk B) Double the risk C) Triple the risk

RISK FACTOR: 2. Stress or problems in your life Teens who use marijuana weekly have double the risk of depression later in life.

#3: Multiple Choice Teens who start drinking alcohol before the age of 15 have ____ the risk of becoming an alcoholic. A) 4 times B) 8 times C) 10 times

RISK FACTOR: 3. Early use of drugs People who begin drinking before age 15 are 4x more likely to be addicted to alcohol No one knows when the "chemical switch" goes off in your brain or who will get addicted. It's a lot like playing Russian Roulette – you just never know. The only thing we do know is that if you don't do drugs, you definitely won't get addicted.

#4: Short Answer List 2 traumatic childhood experiences that can shape a child's brain chemistry and make them vulnerable to addiction. 1) 2)

RISK FACTOR: 4. Childhood trauma Scientists know that Physical or verbal abuse 2) Neglect of children 3) Persistent conflict in the family 4) Sexual abuse and other traumatic childhood experiences can shape a child's brain chemistry and subsequent vulnerability to addiction.

#5: True / False It takes half as much alcohol to damage a teen’s brain as it does an adult's brain.

RISK FACTOR: 5. Drinking before the age of 15 True! It takes half as much alcohol to damage a teen’s brain as it does an adults brain.

#6: Multiple Choice Students in a national survey who drank alcohol were ______ more likely than non-drinkers to have low self-esteem. A) 2 times B) 2 to 10 times C) 2 to 15 times

RISK FACTOR: 6. Low self-esteem Students in this survey who had faced harmful effects of alcohol were 2 to 15 times more likely than non-drinkers to have low self-esteem.

#7: Multiple Choice ____% of cigarette smoking seniors in high school who also tried marijuana. A) 50% B) 64% C) 94%

RISK FACTOR: 7. Using Tobacco 94% of smoking seniors in high school tried marijuana compared to only 20% of non-smoking seniors.

#8: Multiple Choice Students with an average grade of “D” or below were more than _______ as likely to have used marijuana in the past year as students who reported an average grade of “A.” A) 1.5 times B) four times C) ten times

RISK FACTOR: 8. Poor grades Students with an average grade of “D” or below were more than four times as likely to have used marijuana in the past year as students who reported an average grade of “A B

#9: Multiple Choice Kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are ___% less likely to use than those who don’t talk with parents. A) 25% B) 50% C) 60%

RISK FACTOR: 9. Lacking family support Kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 % less likely to use than those who do not talk to their parents about drugs. B

#10: Multiple Choice Feeling unaccepted socially Of these 3, what is the most powerful risk factor that a teen will use drugs in high school?: Feeling unaccepted socially B) Having friends who use C) Poor attendance

RISK FACTOR: 10. Friends who use B One of the most powerful risk factors is having friends who use drugs and alcohol!!!!!!

Answers at a glance: 1. C 2. B 3. A 10 – A 9 – A- 4. abuse, neglect, conflict 5. TRUE 6. C 9. B 7. C 10. B 8. B 10 – A 9 – A- 8 – B 7 – C 6 – D 5 – F 4 – F 3 – F 2 – F 1 - F

Top 10 RISK FACTORS in Review: 1. Family genetics 2. Stress or problems in your life 3. Early use of drugs 4. Childhood trauma 5. Drinking before the age of 15 6. Low self-esteem 7. Smoking Cigarettes/vaping 8. Poor grades 9. Lacking family support 10. Friends who use Protective Factors: relieve stress in healthy ways positive self-talk manage anger have empathy get counseling care about your education choose friends who don't use don't smoke cigarettes treat depression don't drink alcohol until 21

TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF QUIET REFLECTION How many TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF QUIET REFLECTION TO SEE IF YOU ARE AT RISK FOR ADDICTION… LOOK AT THE BACK SIDE OF THE WORKSHEET FOR WARNING SIGNS… How many of these “Risk Factors” can you control? Put a “ * ” by those you can control and ask yourself if you need to change those things…