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Substance Use Awareness Worksheet

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Substance Use Awareness Worksheet

Read the scenarios and use evidence from the information panel to explain your thinking. There may be more than one sensible response; sample answers are provided for checking.

Quick reference: substances, risk and support

A substance can affect how the body or brain works. Alcohol and nicotine products are restricted to adults; cannabis and other illicit drugs are illegal to possess or use in Australia except in limited circumstances set by law. Medicines can be helpful when used as directed, but taking someone else’s medicine or using more than prescribed can be harmful. Caffeine may increase alertness but can also disrupt sleep or cause jitteriness. Effects vary with the person, substance, amount and situation. Mixing substances can increase risk because their effects may interact unpredictably or become stronger. A person’s age, health, medicines and environment matter too. If someone may have alcohol poisoning or another serious reaction, call Triple Zero (000). Stay with them, follow the call-taker’s instructions and do not leave them alone. For confidential health advice, a GP or health service can help. In Australia, the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline is 1800 250 015; it connects callers to local support. If there is immediate danger, call 000.

1.Arjun says, “If something is legal for adults, it must be safe for everyone.” Identify one problem with this claim and give a more accurate statement about legality and safety.

2.Choose the safest response if a friend offers you a prescription painkiller that was prescribed to them.

Take a smaller amount so it is safer.
Decline it; only use medicine prescribed for you, as directed by a health professional.
Take it only if you have similar symptoms.
Keep it for later in case you need it.

3.Match each substance or situation to the most likely concern. Write the correct letter beside each item. A. Impaired judgement and slower reactions B. Sleep disruption or jitteriness C. Harm from taking medicine not prescribed to you 1. Alcohol 2. Large amounts of caffeine late in the day 3. Borrowed prescription medicine

1. Alcohol
2. Large amounts of caffeine late in the day
3. Borrowed prescription medicine

B. Sleep disruption or jitteriness
C. Harm from taking medicine not prescribed to you
A. Impaired judgement and slower reactions

4.A group pressures Matilda to vape and says, “Everyone does it.” Write a clear refusal that includes a firm no and one next step that helps Matilda leave or change the situation.

5.A friend has been drinking and is difficult to wake. What should you do first, and what should you avoid doing?

6.List two trusted people or services someone could contact for support with substance-related concerns. Include one option available in Australia.

7.Why can mixing alcohol with other drugs or medicines be especially risky? Give one reason and one action that reduces risk.

8.True or false: A person can ask for help for a friend without needing to know exactly what substance they took. Explain briefly.

9.A person is worried that their own substance use is affecting sleep, study or relationships. Suggest one non-judgemental first step and explain why it may help.

10.Plan a brief safe-choice response to this situation: At a gathering, someone is pressuring a friend to drink, and the friend looks uncomfortable. Write one supportive sentence you could say and one practical action you could take.