Substance Effects Match-Up

Recommended Age: 14+

Goal

• Todiscussthedesiredeffectsandpotentialrisksofdifferentsubstances.

Instructions

• Telltheyouththatmostsubstancescanbeclassifiedinoneoffivecategoriesbecauseofhowtheyworkinthebody.We’regoingtogothroughfiveofthemtoexplorewhatthepotentialdesiredeffects(whatpeoplemightwantfromtakingthesubstance)andpotentialharms(risksorsideeffects)maybe.

OptionA:SubstanceEffectsMatchingGameGroupActivity

• Usethisoptionforalargegroupbyusingonesetofcards(canbecopiedfromfollowingpages;makesuretocutalongdottedlines)andcallingonvolunteerstoplacethem.Foramorecollaborativeactivity,printseveralsetsofcards(below)forsmallgroupstoworkontogetherandcompareresultsattheendasalargegroup.Toincreasethechallengeorforgroupswithalotofexistingsubstanceinformation,separatetheDesiredEffectsandPotentialHarmsbycuttingintotwocardsinsteadofonesheet.

• Placesignsfor‘Downers,’‘Uppers,’‘Cannabis,’‘Hallucinogens,’and‘Inhalants’onwhiteboardorwall,ordistributetogroupsifdoingsmallgroupversionofthisactivity.

• HandoutDesiredEffectsandPotentialHarmscardsandhaveyouthplacetheminthesectionswheretheyfeelthecardsbelong.

OptionB:SubstanceEffectsMatchingGameHandout

• Usethisoptionforamorereflectiveactivity.PrintenoughcopiesoftheSubstanceEffectsMatchingGame(followscardactivity)foryourgroup.Haveyouthcompletethematchinggameindividuallyorinsmallgroups.Comparethefinalanswersasalargegroupanduseinformationbelowfordebrief.

• Answerkeyformatchinggame:Inhalants(D&G),Downers(E&J),Uppers(B&F),Cannabis(A&H),Hallucinogens(C&I)

Debrief

• Usethefollowinginfoaboutsubstances,listedbycategory,totalkaboutthesubstanceswithyouthinasmuchoraslittledetailassuitsyourgroup.

DOWNERS:alcohol,painkillers,heroin,fentanyl,etc.Desiredeffects:Slowthebodydown,createafeelingofcalm,helpapersonrelaxorsleep(sedative),reducephysicaland/oremotionalpain.Alcoholinsmalldosescanmakepeoplefeelenergeticandhappy.Potentialharms:Downersarecalleddepressantsbecausetheyslowdownthecentralnervoussystemandthissometimesblocksmessagesgettingtoourbrains.Alcohollowersinhibitionsandimpairsjudgment,changingthethingswedoandwhatwethinkofassafeorunsafe.Thegreatestrisksoftencomefromthethingspeopledowhentheyaredrunk.Themorealcoholisconsumed,themorepeoplecanfindthemselvesbecomingincreasinglysad,angry,uncoordinated,and/orsloweddown.Alcoholpoisoningiswhenapersondrinksmorealcoholthantheirbodycanhandle.“Whatarethesignsofalcoholpoisoning?”Signsofalcoholpoisoningarevomiting,clammyskin,shallowbreathing,andpassingout.Anoverdosecanleadtoacomaordeath.Takinginamountsquicklyputsusatahigherriskofalcoholpoisoning.Takingtoomuchofanydownercanresultinoverdosebecausethebodyslowsdowntoomuchandaperson’sheartbeatorbreathingcanstop.UPPERS:cocaine,caffeine,crystalmeth,speed,etc.Uppersorstimulantsworkbyincreasingdopaminelevelsinthebrain.Desiredeffects:Mayfeelalert,happy,‘high,’excited,andanincreasedtolerancetopain.Potentialharms:Withalluppers,there’sacrashatsomepoint.Atthistime,peoplecanfeeldepressed,upset,mad,orreallytired.“Whatmightsomeonebetemptedtodoatthispointtodealwithhowtheyarefeeling?”Takemore.That’swhatcanmakeupperssoaddictive.Ifapersonusestoomuchofanupper(especiallycocaineorspeed/amphetamines),they

canoverdosebyhavingaheartattack.Thereisalsoariskofnausea,headaches,racingheart,anxiety,moodswings,paranoia,severedepression,andviolentbehaviour.CANNABIS:pot/weed,driedbuds,hash,oil,edibles,shatter/dab,etc.Desiredeffects:Itcancausesomeonetofeelrelaxed,haveasenseofwell-beingandaslowedsenseoftime,orprovidepainrelief.Potentialharms:THC(tetrahydrocannabinol)isoneofthemoreprominentdrugsincannabis.ItishardtoguesshowstrongitwillbebecauseTHClevelsvaryfromplanttoplant.Thismeansthatitcanbehardtopredictwhateffectaparticularbatchwillhave.Somepeoplecanexperiencepanic,paranoia,andmemoryproblems,anditcanleadtolungproblemswhensmoked.“Howcouldcannabisaffectsomeone’sdriving?”Sincecannabisdistortsthinking,peoplemaythinktheyaredrivingfinewhentheyarehigh,eventhoughtheyarenot.Effectslikeslowerreactiontime,distortedperceptionsoftimeanddistance,decreasedalertness,andincreaseddrowsinessallmakedrivingdangerousundertheinfluenceofweed.i‘Greeningout’isatermusedtodescribeasituationwhereapersonmayfeelsickafterusingcannabis.Althoughnotfatal,apersonmaygopaleandsweaty,feeldizzywith‘thespins,’feelnauseous,andmayevenstartvomiting.InCanada,theuseofcannabisisnowlegalbasedonage.InManitoba,legalageis19+,whileinotherprovincesitmaybe18+.HALLUCINOGENS:magicmushrooms,LSD(acid),ecstasy/MDMA,peyote,etc.Hallucinogenschangethewaypeoplethink,see,andhearthings.Withhallucinogens,ingeneral,thehighdependsonwhereyouare,whoyou’rewith,andhowyou’refeeling.Ecstasy(orMDMA)canbeconsideredbothahallucinogenandanupper.Desiredeffects:Includefeelingsofopenness,euphoria,increasedenergy,andhallucinations.SomeIndigenouscultureshaveteachingsaboutspecificmedicinesthatareconsideredtobehallucinogensforceremonialpurposestoobtaininformation,knowledge,orpurpose.iiTheseceremoniesareguidedbyaTraditionalHealer,MedicinePeople,andKnowledgeKeepers.Potentialharms:Withmushrooms,‘badtrips’canhappen.Thisiswheresomeonecouldfeelfear,panic,andeventerror.Otherharmscanbeupset

stomachandconfusion(whichhasledtoaccidentalinjuryanddeath).Hallucinogensmaycauselastingperceptionchanges(streakingorflashbacks)orpersistentpsychosis.Theseeffectsmaylastforyears.Forpeoplewithapre-existingmentalillness,thereisapossibilitythatbothhallucinogensandcannabiscouldaggravatetheillness.iiiEcstasysideeffectscanincludegrindingofteethandjawclenching,increasedheartrateandbodytemperature,anxiety,andparanoia.Thereisalsoariskofliver/heartfailureduetodehydrationandhyperthermia(severelyhighfever).INHALANTS:solventsandgasses(notintendedforhumanconsumption)Desiredeffects:Canmakeapersonfeeleuphoric,lightheadedordizzy,andloseinhibitions.Potentialharms:Memoryloss,lossofhearingandsenseofsmell,changesinpersonality,irreversiblebraindamage,deathfromeitherpassingoutorfromsuddensniffingdeath,wheretheheartstops.Stigma:Harmcanalsoincludebeingjudgednegatively.Ofteninoursociety,peoplemakenegativeassumptionsaboutpeoplewhouseinhalants,whereasifsomeoneisusingadifferentsubstance(likealcohol,forexample),theymaynotbejudgedinthesameway.Negativeassumptionsarecalledstigmaandthatstigmamaymakeitmoredifficultforsomeonetogethelpiftheyfeelthattheirsubstanceuseisbecomingproblematic. Additional Activities Ideally,thisactivitycanbefollowedby:

• “PartyingSafer”Brainstorm

Desired effects: •Slows the body down •Makes you sleepy •Pain relief (physical and emotional) Potential harms: •Lowered inhibitions - taking more risks •Overdose •Addiction/problematic use

Desired effects: •Alert and awake •Happy or ‘high’ •Increased tolerance to pain Potential harms: •Crash (feeling depressed, upset, mad, or really tired) •Overdose •Addiction/problematic use

Desired effects: •Quick and fast high •Giddy and lightheaded or dizzy •Immediate escape from reality Potential harms: •Memory loss, loss of hearing and sense of smell •Brain damage •Changes in personality

Desired effects: •Seeing/hearing things that others don’t •Openness and sense of well-being •More energy

Potential harms: •Bad trip •Nausea (upset stomach) •Confusion and accidental injury

Desired effects: •Feeling chilled out and giggly •Calms upset stomach •Slowed sense of time Potential harms: •Panic or paranoia •Slowed reaction time/ less alert •Greening out

POTENTIAL HARMS

DESIRED EFFECTS

J) Lowered inhibitions: taking m

ore risks, overdose, addiction/problem

atic use I) Bad trip, nausea (upset stom

ach), confusion and accidental injury H

) Panic or paranoia, slowed reaction tim

e/ less alert, greening out

G) M

emory loss, loss o f hearing and sense of sm

ell, brain dam

age, changes in personality

F) Crash (feeling depressed, upset, m

ad or really tired), overdose, addiction/problem

atic use

E) Sl ows the body dow

n, makes you sleepy, pain relief

(p hysical and emotional)

D) Q

uick and fast high, giddy an d lightheaded or dizzy, i m

mediate escape from

reality

C) Seeing/hearing things that others don’

t, openness and sense of w

ell -being, more ener gy

B) Alert and awake, happy or " high,”

increased tolerance to pain A) Feeling chilled out and giggly, calm

s upset stomach, slow

ed sense of tim

e

Substance Use Info M

a tching Gam

e!

Draw

a line from each desired effect (w

hat people want from

using) &

potential harm (side effects or risks) on the left to the

correct substance category on the right.

Substance Categories:

Inhalan ts

Solvents and gasses not intended for hum

an consumption (e.g ., gasses,

cleaning products)

D

owners

Alcohol, pai n-killers, heroin, sleeping

pills…

Uppers

Cocaine, caffeine, crystal m

eth, speed, e cstasy…

C

annabis

Pot/w

eed, dried buds, hash, oil, edibles, shatter/dab...

H

allucinogens

Magic m

ushrooms, acid, ecstasy/M

DM

A,

ayahuasca, peyote. ..

iCanadianCentreonSubstanceAbuse.(2016).Effectsofdrugsonthebodyanddriving.CanadianCentreon

SubstanceAbuse. iiAddictionsFoundationofManitoba.(n.d.).Thebasics:Hallucinogens(psychedelics).InAFM.RetrievedJune

22,2021,fromhttps://afm.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Hallucinogens.jpg iiiIbid.

Sexuality Education Resource Centre 2021