Drug Detectives
Discover what the young people know about drugs and their link to violence using this matching activity.
Intro
You will need...
Timing: 30 mins
- Matching cards
Instructions
Start by...
1. Introduce the topic of drugs and their relation to youth violence. Highlight that some drugs can change people's moods and behaviours, which could increase the risk of some people being involved in violence and risk-taking behaviours.
- Can they name any drugs that could increase this risk? (see additional information sheet)
2. Describe the matching activity. Each group will be given a set of cards that includes pictures of drugs, their names and category cards. They will need to match each drug to the correct picture and category.
TIP: Give a quick example to show how the activity works. For example, "What is this an image of? What category does it belong to?"
Middle bit..
3. Split the young people into small groups and hand out the activity cards. Give them a set amount of time to discuss and match the cards.
4. Once the groups have finished matching their cards, bring everyone back together. Go through each drug one by one and discuss the correct answers. Use the following questions to encourage a discussion:
- What do you know about this drug?
- Does anyone know any other names for it?
- How do you think this drug might affect a person's mood or behavior?
- Do you think using this drug could make someone more likely to become irritable or violent? Why or why not?
Emphasise that even though some drugs like nicotine, alcohol and caffeine are socially accepted, they can still impact a person's mood and increase the risk of irritability. Illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin and ecstasy can have a more noticeable impact on behavior and increase the risk of violence. Medical drugs like an asthma inhaler or Ritalin are safe when used correctly but can be dangerous if not.
End by...
5. Revisit the key points from your group's discussion. Reinforce that the impact drugs can have on moods and behaviors varies from person to person.
- Alcohol is often taken alongside drugs. Ask them what the impact of this can be and link it back to violence.
Remind them that the incorrect use of any drug can have serious consequences.