Pubdate: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 The Morning Star Contact: http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) BENCHMARKS IN DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION Students should know and understand the following concepts: Kindergarten to Grade 2: - - Know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. - Can identify poisonous and harmful substances commonly found in the home. - Can explain that prescription medicines are drugs that can help the person for whom they are meant but that can harm anyone else - especially children, who must stay away from them. By Grade 3: - - How food, poisons, medicines and illegal drugs differ. - Prescribed medicines are for sick people only. - Why adults may drink but children may not, even small amounts - it's harmful to children's developing brains and body. By Grade 7: - - The ability to resist drug use peer pressure. - The negative impact of drug use. - The immediate effects of alcohol, tobacco and drug use on different parts of the body, including risks of coma or fatal overdose. - The long-term consequences - how and why drugs are especially dangerous for growing bodies. - The problems that alcohol and other illegal drugs cause not only to the user, but the user's family and world. - Student can describe healthy habits - e.g. exercise, proper nutrition, hygiene, stress management. - Healthy use of medication. - Dangers of smoking. By Grade 10: - - The ability to resist drug use peer pressure. - The negative impact of drug use. - The short-term effects of tobacco and marijuana use - bad breath, stained teeth. - The long-term effects of drug use - lack of crucial social and emotional skills ordinarily learned during adolescence; the risk of lung cancer and emphysema from smoking, fatal or crippling car accidents and liver damage from heavy drinking; addiction, brain coma and death. By Grade 12: - - The ability to resist drug use pressure. - How alcohol, tobacco and other drug consumption during pregnancy has been linked with birth defects in newborns. - The potentially deadly effects of combining drugs. - How drug use can ruin chances of getting into university, being accepted by the military or being hired for certain jobs. - Understand the difference between medically used marijuana and illegal use. - Possess a strong understanding of the dangers of substance abuse. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth