Dare to Say No (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)

From the moment of birth we begin learning skills which enable us to survive in a complex world. Unfortunately, today’s child is subject to many stresses and is faced with many decisions long before coping skills and decision-making skills have been developed. Lacking those skills, a child can make unhealthy decisions under pressure from peers. Children must be taught the skills to say “no” to alcohol and drugs.

Drugs and alcohol are everyone’s problem. No longer can we associate substance abuse with only the criminal element of society. The devastating consequences are evident throughout our society. Drugs and alcohol victimize each and every person, even those who do not use them. Increased instances of violent crimes, robbery, burglary and traffic accidents can be attributed to drug and alcohol. In the work place, employers recognize drugs and alcohol in decreased productivity, disciplinary problems, and absences due to illness.

Some believe the solution to the substance abuse problem is to pass more laws, employ more police officers, prosecutors and judges, and build more prisons. The truth is that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. As long as society demands drugs and is willing to pay whatever is necessary to get them there will always be those who are willing to take risks to supply them. The only way to put drug suppliers out of business is through the proper balance of enforcement and education which results in increased risks and reduced profits for the suppliers. We must try to reduce the demand for drugs by teaching children the knowledge and skills needed to resist drugs. There are no quick solutions to our deeply rooted drug problem. However, effective prevention programs, combined with vigorous enforcement, will have a positive impact upon our drug problem. Effective prevention instruction must focus on providing accurate information, coping and decision-making skills, and positive alternatives to substance abuse. Scare tactics that teach only the harms of drugs do not always work. Teens want to act grown up. Many of them think that smoking, drinking and exotic drugs are their passport to adulthood. We should attempt to teach teenagers what being grown up really means – resisting peer pressure, making your own decisions, and learning to cope with life’s problems in positive ways.

Thus we should focus on four major areas:

• providing accurate information about drugs and alcohol;

• teaching children decision-making skills;

• showing students how to resist peer pressure;

• providing children ideas for alternatives to drug use.

A variety of activities should be employed by instructors at schools, such as group discussions and role playing. A healthy exchange of ideas and feelings is an important part of the learning process.

Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Match the attribute (A) and the verb (B) on the left with nouns and phrases on the right. Use each word only once.

A criminal crime

soft drug trade

decision-making substance

illicit drugs

addictive skills

drug symptoms

drug-related offence

drug withdrawal abuse

B to increase the legalization of drugs

to legalize the profits of drug dealers

to rule out work performance

to contain drugs

to reduce to drugs

to affect in drugs

to deal by 20 per cent

to be linked a crisis

Ex. 2. Fill in the correct prepositions where necessary.

According … a study last year in North-West, 95 per cent of a sample … young people convicted … criminal offences admitted … being or having been drug-users. That was seen as good evidence … a growing link … drugs and crime.

The experts predict that the number of addicts may reach … 500,000 … the end of the decade and the number of drug-related crime may go … …200,000.

An increase … the number of addicts shows that the measures taken … the government are not sufficient. The experts believe that more money should be spent … drug rehabilitation.

E

legalizer legal access addict to limit

drastically accessible to obtain legalization

soft hard

x. 3. Complete the following sentences with a word in the correct form from the box below. Some words will be used more than once.

Drug use has increased … among young teens in the past five years. They think they are immune and can … their involvement to … drugs. That is a delusion – like trying to be a little pregnant. The earlier and more frequently an adolescent uses a … drug the more likely it is he will go on to the … drugs. This is surely an argument for more vigilance, not less. … would jeopardize a whole generation.

The … respond that if drugs were …, it would not increase the number of …, since anyone who wants a drug can get it now. This does not square with the facts. Drugs are not … at all. According to research, fewer than 50 per cent of high school seniors and young adults under 22 believe that they could … cocaine “fairly easily” or “very easily”. So, after …, you could double or triple the number of people who would have … to drugs and who would assuredly use them – exactly the history of alcohol when Prohibition ended.

Ex. 4. Use the words given in brackets to form a word that fits in the space according to the meaning.

A. The argument of the (legalize) is that America has lost the drug war. No matter how many fast boats, helicopters, and antinarcotics teams we have, (legal) drugs use continues and so does the (crime) apparatus that supports the trade. If we (legal) drugs at low prices the gangs and peddlers would be out of business and the killing and extortions would (appear). In a democracy, in short, it is a mistake to (criminal) the behaviour of so many people. It promotes crime and (weak) respect for the rule of law.

There are many things amiss with this (analyze). The drug war is not being lost. In 1980, some 25 million had tried drugs sometime in the preceding month. Today that figure is 11 million. Why? Because of stricter drug laws, stronger societal (approve), and an increased (aware) of the devastation drugs can produce.

B. In today’s world people seem to be very (anxiety), and suffer from stress. This stress is often (harm) and some people need to seek medical (treat) in order to recover. However, a more (effect) solution is for people to learn to relax. This can be achieved through a (vary) of leisure (active) such as sport, reading, music or even gardening. (Emphasise) is placed on people spending time doing things that they enjoy, the ultimate aim being (relax). Unfortunately, some people find this (possible) and therefore need to take drugs prescribed by their doctor. These drugs are called (tranquil). They calm people down, but can be dangerous if taken for long periods of time. Alternative methods are much (safety) and have no side effects.

Ex. 5. Give the English equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Наркоторговля; контрабанда наркотиков; оказывать отрицательное воздейст­вие на производительность труда; снижение производительности труда; вы­ступать в защиту легализации наркотиков; объявить наркотики вне закона; уголовное преступление; симптомы наркотической ломки; подвергаться стрессу; уменьшить спрос на наркотики; большое количество невыходов на работу; травмы, полученные на рабочем месте; противостоять нажиму со стороны сверстников; исключить легализацию наркотиков; быть доступным.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Некоторые политики придерживаются точки зрения, что и слабо- и сильно-действующие наркотики должны быть в открытой продаже по доступным ценам. 2. Существует мнение, что легализация продажи наркотиков будет спо­собствовать уничтожению подпольного рынка наркотиков. 3. Связь между преступностью и потреблением наркотиков становится все более очевидной. 4. 95% преступлений, совершенных молодыми людьми, связано с употребле­нием наркотиков. 5. Наличие у человека слабодействующих наркотиков не должно считаться преступлением. 6. За несколько последних лет количество преступлений удвоилось (утроилось, увеличилось на 20%). 7. Большая часть молодых людей, совершивших преступление, признали, что они употребляли наркотики. 8. Автор статьи призвал к новому подходу к проблеме борьбы с наркоманией. 9. В последнее время отмечается значительный рост употреб­ления наркотиков и связанных с этим преступлений. 10. Большая часть поли­тиков исключают возможность легализации наркотиков. 11. Если наркотики станут доступными в законном порядке, число людей, принимающих нарко­тики, увеличится. 12. Легализация наркотиков уменьшит прибыли нарко­дельцов и соответственно число преступлений. 13. Министерство внутренних дел Великобритании предлагает ввести пятикратное увеличение штрафов за хранение марихуаны. 14. По некоторым оценкам, количество людей, упот­ребляющих наркотики, увеличилось за последние годы на 10%. 15. По дан­ным федерального правительства, производительность труда у работников, употребляющих наркотики, в три раза ниже, чем у остальных работников. 16. Производственные потери вследствие злоупотребления наркотиками эквивалентны 25% зарплаты каждого работника, употребляющего наркотики. 17. Дети могут принимать неправильные решения под нажимом своих сверстни­ков. 18. В случае легализации наркотиков количество людей, потребляющих наркотики, может увеличиться в 2–3 раза.

SECTION III