Straight Talk: Drugs and Alcohol

28 Pages·2012·19.389 MB·English

by  Stephanie Paris

STRDAIGHTr TAuLK g s St S T R DA I G H Tr TAuL K g s
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a STRdAAIGHT TlAcLK o h o l Talk: Drugs a S T dR AAI G H T lTAcL K o h o l
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SCTRanA dIGruHgTs TreAaLllKy hurt you? And, nd A
if they are so bad for you, why lco
h
do people take them? What o
sdhruogusld t oy oyuo usa? y S iof msoemtiemoense i to cffaenrs l S T R A I G H T TA L K
be hard to find answers to these
tough questions. This book is
one place to start.
Level 4.5
Word Count: 1509
Reading Level Correlations:
Early Intervention Level 25
Guided Reading Level R
DRA Level 40
P
a
Lexile® xxL TCM 15859 ris Stephanie Paris
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STRDAI G HTr TAuLK g s
a STRdAAI G HT TlAcLK o h o l
STR AI G HT TALK Stephanie Paris
Consultants
Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D.
Kent State University
Table of
Lori Oczkus
Literacy Consultant
Dana Lambrose, M.S.N.,
PMHNP t e t s
West Coast University C o
Based on writing from
TIME For Kids. TIME For Kids and the
TIME For Kids logo are registered
trademarks of TIME Inc. Used under
license. What Are Drugs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Types of Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Publishing Credits
Dona Herweck Rice, Editor-in-Chief
How to Handle It . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Lee Aucoin, Creative Director
Jamey Acosta, Senior Editor
Lexa Hoang, Designer
What to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Stephanie Reid, Photo Editor
Rachelle Cracchiolo, M.S.Ed., Publisher
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Image Credits:
pp.8–9, 14, 22 Alamy; p.38 Corbis; p.27
(middle) Getty Images/DeAgostini; p.13 More to Explore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
(top) iStockphoto; p. 23 The Library of
Congress [LC-USZ62-123257]; pp.20–21, 25,
30–31 Timothy J. Bradley; All other images About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Shutterstock.
Teacher Created Materials
5301 Oceanus Drive
Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030
http://www.tcmpub.com
ISBN 978-1-4333-4859-4
© 2013 Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
2 3
W h a t A r e
D r u g s ?
1 What questions do you
have about drugs?
People talk a lot about drugs . But what they
Why do you think it is
say may not always make sense . You may hear 2
difficult for some people
there was a drug bust on the news . But there is
to talk about drugs?
also a drugstore on the corner . You may hear
about people being in rehab because they are 3 How can you make healthy
drug addicts . But maybe you know someone choices for your body?
who needs to take drugs to stay alive . How can
they all be talking about the same thing?
Some drugs are legal and some are illegal .
Some drugs are medicines that can be helpful to
your body . Others only cause harm . So when
people talk about drugs, they may be talking
about many different things .
A drug is any substanceÑother
than food or waterÑthat changes
the way your body or mind works.
4 5
Addiction
One word that comes up
a lot when talking about drugs
is addiction . Being addicted to
something means it is really difficult
to stop using it . A person’s body and
brain get tricked into thinking the
drug is needed to feel good . Addicts
may understand that something
is causing them harm . But they
still feel unable to stop . Addiction
is very complicated . And it isn’t
something that can be faced alone .
Withdrawal
If someone taking drugs,
he or she can feel very sick . It
may be weeks before the drugs
are completely out of the body .
Someone who stops taking drugs STOP the CYCLE
may throw up, shake, or sweat a lot
during withdrawal . Withdrawal is Drugs are chemicals. They
a physical and emotional reaction . change the way the brain
normally works. Over
It lasts until the person’s body gets
time, people can develop
used to not having the drug again .
a tolerance to drugs.
They find they need to
take more and more just
to feel the same way.
6 7
SIGNS OF
Addicts mAayD bDehIaCveT iInO N keeping an extra amount of the drug on hand
dfeiwffe oref ntht ew saiygsn. s Tohf easded aicreti oan . spending money you can’t afford on the drug
e time and energy souna llgy etdtoi (nligk ea nstde daruliusign ntg)og ttdohe aegl edtw rittuhhg e ydo ruur gp r o b l e m s fabielilniegv tion sgto tph auts yinogu tnheee ddr tuog u wseh ethne y doruu tgr yregularly
and mor u don’t u need the
ore s yo you
m g t
g in ha
din g th ng t
en oin eli
p d e
s f
“ Astithl krfeieransd tts,h hfrieanabadiltlsy .o cn Bhly”ua tnb,gi naedl atsos u !l si nT wkhsiet sohef
sÑt1r9otnhg ceesnttu sryt emeolr.p hine addict
8 9
T y p e s o f
READING a
PRESCRIPTION
D r u g s
Rx stands for the Latin word recipere or recipe,
meaning “you take.” Prescriptions used to be
recipes telling the pharmacist how much of each
medicine to put in.
There are many kinds of drugs .
They can be divided into groups based on how
they are used, what form they come in, and what
effects they cause .
Prescription Drugs
A prescription is a note from a doctor that
says someone needs a specific medicine . Doctors
need to know the patient’s age and weight when
they write prescriptions . They also need to
know if the patient is taking other drugs .
This is because many drugs interact
in negative ways . Something
that is safe on its own may
be dangerous if another drug
is in the body . Medicines
are matched to patients and
FULL APPROVAL
their current needs . It is
important to take the right
Every prescription drug goes through
amount and follow the a long process before it is approved. In
directions . If there are any the United States, the Food and Drug
problems, the doctor needs Administration (FDA) is in charge. They
make sure that prescription drugs are safe
to be informed .
when used as directed.
10 11
Prescription Abuse
Sometimes people abuse drugs by taking
them in ways that differ from the prescription .
They might think prescription drugs are safe
because they came from a doctor . People may
SCARY STAT
take too much of the medicine . Or they may
take drugs that were prescribed for other people .
This is very dangerous! Each prescription More people in the United
is different and has its own risks . Many can States die from prescription
make you sick if you take too much . Some can drug abuse than from heroin
and cocaine combined!
be dangerous if taken with alcohol or mixed
with other things . Some can kill you . In 2008
alone, 20,044 deaths were caused by taking
prescription drugs in amounts greater than the
prescribed dose .
DOCTOR’S
ORDERS
It’s important to know your body,
but remember, only a doctor
should advise you on what drugs
to take. Self-medicating with
prescription drugs is dangerous.
12 13
Warning
NARCOTICS
Most medicines come with a piece of paper . It
may look small, but when unfolded it becomes a Narcotic pain pills are the most abused prescription drugs.
long sheet filled with small writing . This pamphlet They are also the deadliest. Some people feel relaxed and
tells about all the side effects and possible problems happy when they take them. So they may take them when
that can happen with the drug . Most medicines are they don’t need to. Narcotics are made from the same
safe when taken as directed . But, if taken in other plant as heroin. They are very addictive! When abused,
ways, medicines can cause problems . they can make people stop breathing. If taken with
alcohol or other drugs, the risks are even greater.
TALK to YOUR PHARMACIST
Pharmacists are specially trained to dispense
prescription medication to patients. They can
also explain doctors’ instructions and possible
side effects so that medications safely and
effectively. Be sure to talk to your pharmacist if
you have any questions about your prescription.
Think only a certain type of person
becomes an addict? Think again.
Addiction can affect anyone
regardless of age, gender, ethnicity,
intelligence, or wealth.
14 15