Planning 10 – EOP
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Graduation Program:
What is Necessary to Meet Graduation Requirements?
As a student in Grade 10, you have just begun the 2004 Graduation Program. (The year indicates
the year in which the government last modified the requirements for graduating in BC.) It is
important that you understand what you have to do in order to meet graduation requirements.
While examining the requirements in this lesson, you will want to “keep in the back of your
mind” the possible careers you are interested in pursuing, along with any education requirements
they might have. (Note: You will explore specific careers and their related training requirements
in detail in a future lesson.)
Read the following documents:
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Grad Planner
Policy Options for Earning Credits
Graduation Program Examinations
Answer the following questions:
1. List all the methods for earning credits?
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completing school-based ministry approved or BAA courses
completing distributed learning ministry approved or BAA courses
receiving equivalency, through documented prior learning, for learning
taken outside of the province
receiving credits for external credentials: achieving a high level of
performance in areas outside of school (cadets, drivers education, music,
dance, etc.)
taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses
challenging a course
taking Independent Directed Studies courses
taking post-secondary courses
completing career courses (Industry Training programs, Secondary School
Apprenticeship program, ACE-IT, Career Preparation programs,
Cooperative Education programs)
2. What are the required graduation program exams all students must take?
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a Math 10 (AMA 10, EMA 10, MA10)
Science 10
English 10
Socials 11 or BC First Nations 12
English 12 or Communications 12
Planning 10 – EOP
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3. In grades 10 and 11, the required government exams count as 20% of your final course grade.
The other 80% will be based on the mark your teacher gives you in the course. Calculate the
following grades:
a. If George received a school mark of 70% in Math 10 and an exam mark of 45%, what
would be his final percentage and letter grade for Math 10? Show the equation you
used.
(0.80 x 70) + (0.20 x 45) = 65, so George will receive 65%, a C in Math 10.
b. If Karen received a school mark of 40% in Science 10, what minimum mark does she
need on the exam to pass the course? Show the equation you used.
In order to pass a course, the combined school and exam mark must be 50%.
50 = (0.80 x 40) + (0.20 x E) where E represents the exam mark
50 = 32 + .20E
18 =0.20E
18 ÷ 0.20 = E
90 = E
Therefore, Karen needs a minimum of 90% on the exam to pass the course.
c. If Wilma received a school mark of 90% in English 10, how low would her exam
mark have to be to lower her final grade to a B? Show the equation you used.
A B is any mark between 73% and 85%. So if her final mark is less than
86% but at least 73%, her final mark will be a B.
86 = (0.80 X 90 + 0.20 x E) where E represents the exam mark
86 = 72 + 0.20E
14 = 0.20E
14 ÷ 0.20 = E
70 = E
73 = (0.80 X 90 + 0.20 x E) where E represents the exam mark
73 = 72 + 0.20E
1 = 0.20E
1 ÷ 0.20 = E
5=E
Therefore, if Wilma scores less than 75% on the her mark will fall to a B. Of
course, she needs to score at least 5% on the exam or her mark will fall to a
C+.
Planning 10 – EOP
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4. In grade 12, all exams represent 40% of your final grade. Therefore, students need to
consider the consequences of writing the exams. Fortunately, the only required exam in
grade 12 is English 12/Communications 12. The others are purely optional. Check out the
following website http://www.bcschoolcounsellor.com/prov_exams.htm#list to see the
extensive list of the Universities, Colleges, and Institutions that do not require students to
write provincial exams.
However, what is important to note is if you choose to write the exam, then the colleges
will use your final combined grade (school and exam) for admission purposes. If you
don’t test well, that could put you at a significant disadvantage. For the most part,
students rarely significantly increase their grades by writing government exams. And
once you choose to write a government exam in a particular subject, you are stuck with
that decision. You can’t take the course again and this time choose not to take the
government exam. So, why would anyone write them? There is a “carrot” out there: if
you can score 86% or better on 3 government exams, you will receive a $1000
scholarship. If you score the highest in the province on your best 3 exams, there is a
$5000 scholarship. Past winners of the $5000 scholarship have averaged higher than
96% on their 3 exams—so the competition is stiff.
Answer the following questions:
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Who decides whether or not a student will write an Optional exam?
The student decides whether or not to write the exam. It is not a decision
made by the school. That is, schools or teachers can not require students to
write optional exams.
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List 6 optional grade 12 exams.
Students must list 6 of the following courses:
AMA F12
BIOSR 12
CHF 12
ESP 12
FRAL 12
GEOF 12
GEOL 12
HIF 12
MTH 12
PHYSF 12
AMA 12
BI 12
CH 12
FR 12
GE 12
GEO 12
HI 12
JA 12
LIT 12
MA 12
MAN 12
PH 12
PUN 12
SP 12
Planning 10 – EOP
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If Thomas has a school mark of 87% in Chemistry 12, should he write the
exam? Why or why not?
Thomas has to consider whether or not that 87% really reflects his ability. If
he really understands the concepts, but hasn’t handed in all the work, he
may want to take a chance IF he knows that he will score higher than 86%
on this exam and at least 2 other grade 12 exams. Otherwise, it is too big a
risk. Right now he has an A. If he doesn’t score at least 86% on the exam,
the best he can hope for is a B. A B may not be good enough for college
admission.
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At this point, do you think you will write any optional grade 12 exams?
Explain your answer.
Students must clearly answer the question and provide reasons for their
choice.
5. How many different times in a school year are exams available to be written? Provide a list
of the months they are available.
Exams are offered 7 different times a year: October, November, January, April,
May, June, and August.
6. Students can write exams on paper or do them electronically on the computer. Students
choose which format they want, as long as it is available. The advantages to electronic
exams is that you can edit your work as you type it, you can flag questions so you can
quickly return to them later in the exam, and the computer will let you know if you have left
any questions blank before you submit the exam. Consider the exams you will be writing in
grade 10. Complete the table below to show when will you write them, whether you think
you would prefer to do the paper version or the electronic version, and why you made that
choice.
Students must complete the following table:
Exam
MA 10
SC 10
EN10
What Month Paper or Electronic ? Reason for Your Choice of P/E
Planning 10 – EOP
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7. Read the explanation of cheating on exams given in the Ministry of Education document.
Then in your own words (and simple language) give 3 examples of cheating.
Students need to provide 3 simpler versions of what they were given in the Ministry
documents, which is shown below. Do not accept simply copying from the Ministry
document.
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being in possession of or having used any secure examination materials prior
to the examination session
communicating with other students during the examination
giving or receiving assistance of any kind in answering an examination
question during an examination, including allowing one’s paper to be viewed
by others or copying answers from another student’s paper
possessing any book, paper or item that might assist in writing an
examination, including a dictionary or piece of electronic equipment, that is
not specifically authorized for the examination by Ministry policy
copying, plagiarizing or presenting as one’s own, work done by any other
person
removing any piece of the examination materials from the examination room,
including work pages
continuing to write or altering a response after the invigilator has stopped
the examination session
8. There is a note in bold under the list of what is cheating. Read it carefully. What is it
saying? Why would the Ministry consider this cheating? What do they suspect is
happening?
The note explains that they are receiving completed paper exams with additional
pages of written work attached to them. The exam procedures require students to
do all of their work on the paper provided. So, since the students are not following
the rules, they are considering it cheating and as such they aren’t marking those
extra papers In fact these student may not have their exams marked at all. The
Ministry suspects that students may be bringing in notes or other papers when they
write the exam or having someone else in the room answering their questions for
them.
9. Give the 2 potential consequences for cheating on a government exam.
The 2 potential consequences for cheating on a government exam are receiving a
grade of 0 and being disqualified from the Provincial Scholarship Program.
10. How long after you complete an examinable course do you have to write the government
exam?
Students have up to 3 years, from the time they complete the course, to write the
government exam.
Planning 10 – EOP
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11. How many times can you write a government exam, before you have to re-take the course?
You can write the government exam twice, before you need to re-take the course.
12. If you re-take a course, how long do you have to complete it before you have to re-write the
government exam as well?
You have 12 months from the time you first wrote the government exam to complete
the re-taken course. Otherwise, you will need to re-write the exam as well.
13. What does the term focus area refer to in regards to the graduation program?
Focus areas help you learn about a broad range of education and career choices.
They help you choose an area of interest to pursue during the Graduation Program.
They are an area where you concentrate your studies.
14. What are the 8 focus areas?
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Business and Applied Business
Fine Arts, Design and Media
Fitness and Recreation
Health and Human Services
Liberal Arts and Humanities
Science and Applied Science
Tourism, Hospitality and Foods
Trades and Technology
15. How does having a focus area relate to career options?
Having a focus area is related to career options because it allows you to explore the
types of careers that fit within a field of interest or skill set. If you don’t like the
courses in a particular focus area, you probably won’t like the careers in that area
either.
Planning 10 – EOP
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16. Complete and print out Graduation Planning Worksheet by accessing the following link:
http://media.openschool.bc.ca/osbcmedia/pl10/pl101/pl1011a1a001.html
When you view the report, it will tell you if you have met graduation requirements,
university entrance requirements, and course pre-requisite requirements. Be sure there
are no problems. If there are, go back and make revisions to your selections.
Once the report is finished, select all of it and copy and paste it into your word processing
document, as your answer to this question.
Students need to access the site and select the courses. They will receive a printout
as to whether or not they have met graduation, university, and course pre-requisite
requirements. If the report says they have not met requirements, then they need to
revise their selections.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
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Graduation Program: Course Enrollment Options
In the previous assignment you learned that you can earn credits towards graduation in a variety
of ways:
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completing school-based ministry approved or BAA courses
completing distributed learning ministry approved or BAA courses
receiving equivalency, through documented prior learning, for learning taken
outside of the province
receiving credits for external credentials: achieving a high level of performance
in areas outside of school (cadets, drivers education, music, dance, etc.)
taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses
challenging a course
taking Independent Directed Studies courses
taking post-secondary courses
completing career courses (Industry Training programs, Secondary School
Apprenticeship program, ACE-IT, Career Preparation programs, Cooperative
Education programs)
In this lesson you are going to explore the options beyond taking courses offered in a traditional,
bricks-and-mortar, school-based program. Obviously, if you are taking this course, you know
something about the Distributed Learning option: taking courses that are offered at a distance
from your teacher. To be sure you fully understand this option you have chosen for Planning 10,
and how you could include it as part of your future courses, complete the following task.
1. Go to the EOP website and scroll down to the bottom to the Distributed Learning Handbook
link. Print a copy of the handbook and answer the questions on the last 2 pages in the
Handbook. (Note: if you have already completed this assignment, as part of the in-take
process, simply indicate that as your answer for this assignment, as we will have your
answers on file.)
If you were living out of province and you completed courses at the grades 10-12 level, when
your records arrive at your school in BC, you will receive equivalency course credit
automatically for the work you completed.
Students in BC are entitled to earn external graduation credits for work, performed at a highlevel of excellence, which they have completed outside of a high school.
2. Access the Ministry of Education’s Course Information for the Graduation Program
handbook to explore the External Credentials section, and then answer the following
questions:
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What courses would you receive credit for if you completed 2 courses from
Okanagan College?
PSIQ12A and PSIQ12B
Planning 10 – EOP
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Name 3 different dance organizations that offer training recognized for course credit
in BC.
Any 3 of the following:
ADAPT – Associated Dance Arts for Professional Teacher
AIDT – Association of International Dance Teachers
British Association of Teachers of Dancing
CDTA - Canadian Dance Teachers Association
Lorita Leung Dance Association
ISTD – Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
National Association of Teachers of Dancing
RAD – Royal Academy of Dance
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How many credits does a student receive for being an Official in Soccer? Assume he
has completed the theory course, the examination, a practical evaluation and 25 hours
of practical officiating.
2 credits of Official 10
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At what level must a student compete in order to receive credit for Athlete 11 in
Basketball?
He or she must be on either the U15 Provincial Team or the U16 Provincial
Team.
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What course do you receive credit for if you complete the Ground Search and Rescue
Provincial Emergency Program training and how many credits would you receive?
You would receive credit for UGSR11, which is 2 credits.
Some school districts offer Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB)
courses. While SD 83 does not offer IB courses, there may be some access to AP through the
bricks and mortar schools. If you are interested in these courses, speak to one of the counsellors
at your neighbourhood school.
Students are able to challenge a course they have never taken before, as long as they can
demonstrate there is a good probability of success. The district has a process for challenging
courses. It is generally not as simple as writing the final exam. If you are interested in learning
more about the challenge process, please see your counsellor.
Independent Directed Studies are courses that you design in consultation with a teacher, which
have at least one learning outcome from a provincial course. For example, if you were interested
in taking History 12, but you wanted to look in depth at the Nazi party, you could design a
course that would allow you do that. You could also take History 12 if you wanted.
Planning 10 – EOP
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School District 83 offers a number of career programs to students. Some of these involve taking
courses at the college and university level while in high school. Others have you do courses at
the high school, in conjunction with work experience in the community, to earn a level of your
apprenticeship.
3. Access the School District’s Career Programs handbook and answer the following questions:
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What percentage of Canadian high school students attend university?
20%
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Who can apply for the career programs in our district?
Grade 10, 11, and 12 students in any secondary school in the district can
apply.
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What type of Career Program is the Automotive Service Technician Program Level
1?
It is an ACE-IT program.
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How much do students have to pay to take the Cosmetology program at PVSS?
$850
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Which college has partnered with SD83 to offer the Machinist Level One Technical
Training?
Selkirk College
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You cannot complete courses that will count towards your LPN while you are in high
school, but if you take a specific course while in high school you have an advantage
when applying for the LPN at Okanagan College. Explain.
Students in SD 83 that have completed Health Services 12 will have the
opportunity to apply for a set number of guaranteed seats in the fall LPN
classes at Okanagan College. This allows them to by-pass the waiting list.
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Where do students complete the Aircraft Engineer Maintenance “M” License”?
Okanagan Vernon Airport Aerospace Campus and Northern Lights College
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How long is the Office Assistant Certificate program?
22 weeks
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
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Graduation Program: Graduation Transitions
When you completed the Graduation Planning Worksheet in the previous lesson, the site
mentioned that you also need to complete the Graduation Portfolio for 4 credits. This
requirement has been changed to completing what is called Graduation Transitions. This not a
class that you will attend, but instead something you will do on your own time. It is intended to
be a 3-year process of collecting evidence, reflecting on the evidence and then presenting that
evidence and reflection to a committee in your grade 12 year.
Since you don’t actually receive class time to complete Graduation Transitions, it is important
that you begin to understand what you will be required to present and begin collecting the
evidence now.
Grad Transitions is intended to ensure all students have put significant thought into what they
will do after high school and how they will get there. The presentation portion of Grad
Transitions holds students accountable for ensuring they have evidence of having collected data
and being reflective on it for 3 years (grades 10-12).
The major component of Grad Transitions is the creation of your Transition Plan. It will detail
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what short-term and long-term goals you have;
what skills, interests, values, you have that support your goals;
what career(s) interest you;
what education is required for the career(s) you have chosen;
what colleges, universities, or training institutions offer the education you require;
the length and cost of the education requirements;
what financial resources you have access to for the education costs;
what other resources you will need to complete your education;
what work and/or volunteer experiences you have had in your community; and
what steps you have taken and will continue to take to ensure you able to live a healthy,
active lifestyle.
The format of the actual presentation of your plan will depend upon where you make your
presentation. If you present at one of the local bricks and mortar schools in School District #83,
you will generally present to a panel of 3 adults from the school system and the community.
These presentations tend to happen across a table. The panel members may include people you
have never met before.
If you decide to take Grad Transitions at EOP, you have more choice in how you will make your
presentation and who you will make it to. You can create the format, pick the location and time,
and invite as many significant others to the presentation as you would like – as long as your
teacher is present and there are at least 3 adults to provide input on the assessment.
Planning 10 – EOP
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1. Make a list of 5 adults, who would be willing to answer your questions about their transition
from high school. Record their answers to the following questions:
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Did you graduate high school? If so, when? If not, in what year did you stop
going to school?
When did you know what you wanted to do after high school?
Did you have a plan, either written down or in your head, as to what you were
going to do and how you were going to achieve your goals?
What has helped you achieve your goals since high school?
What do you wish you knew when you were my age about planning for the
future?
Comment in a paragraph about you learned from the people you interviewed. Be
specific.
Students need to include the answers to the 5 questions for each of the 5 people they
interviewed, as well as include a comprehensive paragraph reflecting on what they
learned.
2. You need to begin thinking about the format of your Grad Transition presentation. Listed
below are some ideas for formats. For each format indicate how comfortable you would be
using it. Use a 1 to indicate you would be uncomfortable, a 2 for comfortable, and a 3 for
very comfortable.
_____ Science Fair Model
_____ Present to a panel of adults (some of whom you don’t know), who are
sitting at the same table as you
_____ Present to a group of teachers/staff members, who are sitting at the same
table as you
_____ Include a live performance of your talents
_____ Embed presentation into a cultural tradition or event
_____ Include a multimedia presentation or personal website
Students need to mark each of the above options with a 1, 2, or 3.
Planning 10 – EOP
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3. Once you have identified the type of format you would like, then you can begin thinking
about what ways you can store the evidence you collect in a portfolio. Should you store
everything electronically? If so, how will you make sure you don’t lose it? Will you use a
file folder? Will you have things that are too big for the file folder? If so, what can you do
to store them? Describe in detail what methods you will use to store your evidence for Grad
Transitions.
Students need to describe what they will use for their portfolio. They need to be
specific and explain how this method will work for them.
3. Once you have the structure of your portfolio, you need to begin thinking about what will go
in to it. Consider how you will build your portfolio. List 5 things you have that are portfolio
worthy right now. Place them in your portfolio!
Students need to list 5 things they have that are portfolio worthy right now.
4. Grad Transitions is intended to be meaningful to you, the student. Therefore, if you could
choose people to attend your presentation, who would they be? In the past, some EOP
students have invited significant adults in their lives currently, as well as those that were
significant in the past. Inviting people that have had an impact on your life years ago, but
who you may not have kept in contact, provides for a terrific opportunity for you to share
your growth. It also gives you a chance to speak to them about how they affected your life.
List 3-5 people you would consider inviting to your Grad Transitions presentation. Include a
brief statement about how you are connected to the person and why you would like them to
attend.
Students must list 3-5 people they would consider inviting to Grad Transitions
presentation, along with a statement as to how they are connected to each person
and why they would them in attendance.
5. Setting goals for your future is one of the elements for your Transition Plan. You will start
today by brainstorming 5 things you would like to do after high school. They don’t have to
be school related. Having the ideas is great, but then you need to think about what your next
steps to achieving the goals would be. So, for each goal you identified, list at least 3 steps
you would need to take to achieve that goal, as in the example provided below.
e.g.
Goal: buy a car
Steps towards reaching my goal: get my drivers’ license, save money, research
the best car to buy, develop a budget
Planning 10 – EOP
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This beginning list of goals should become part of your evidence for Grad Transitions.
As such, you will want to save it separately, so you can continue to work on and develop
a running list of your goals. That way, it will make completing your Transition Plan in
grade 12 very easy.
Students need to list a minimum of 5 goals with at least 3 steps towards achieving
each goal.
6. Another of the elements of the plan requires you to demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes, and
positive habits needed to be a healthy individual, responsible for your own physical and
emotional well-being, by engaging, from Grade 10 to Grade 12, in at least 150 minutes per
week of moderate to vigorous physical activity. There are a couple of different ways to track
this activity. You could use a tracking form or you could simply use the Daily Physical
Activity Tracker on the LearnNowBC website. It is the same program all EOP students use
to track their hours in PE 10 -12. The advantage of using the tracker is that it will continue to
monitor your activity over the 3 years, and you can get periodic detailed reports for your
portfolio. Document your physical activity for a two-week period. If you use the tracker,
inform your teacher so she can obtain a report. If you used the tracking form, submit a copy
of it.
Students must provide evidence of their meeting the requirements of 150 minutes of
moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, for a two-week period. They may
submit the tracking form or give you the information for accessing a report on the
Daily Physical Activity Tracker program.
7. The final element of your Transition Plan that you will explore in this lesson is the
requirement for you to provide evidence that you meet the Attributes of a BC Graduate.
Select 4 attributes from the list that you think you have made some significant progress
towards achieving and describe your current status for each. Identify 2 attributes that you
think you need the most work on developing. For each of them state what you could do to
achieve growth in those areas.
Students will identify 4 attributes they have made significant progress towards
achieving and describe their current status for each. In addition, they will identify 2
attributes that they need the most work on developing and state what they could do
to achieve growth in those areas.
Note: There are additional elements to the Transition Plan that you will explore and begin to
collect evidence for in later units.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Education and Careers – Understanding Myself
In this lesson, you will hopefully learn a great deal about yourself: your types of intelligences,
your learning style, your personality type, your temperament, your interests, your work values,
and your career interests. Some of it may be new, and some of it will confirm what you already
knew. In some cases, when you do the various assessments, you will feel the results are totally
wrong....and they could be. They are simply surveys. They aren’t predicting the future or telling
you what you have to do. However, you are encouraged to keep an open mind towards the
results.
The most important rule about completing assessments is to be honest. If you are not honest, the
results will simply not be applicable to you – and you will have completely wasted your time in
doing them.
All of the work for this lesson will be completed in a document called your Personal Profile.
This will allow you to make a copy of it and store it in your Grad Portfolio.
1. According to Howard Gardner there are many different types of intelligence. At one time
people only talked about IQ, which was only a measure of how well you handled words,
numbers and logic. Now there are at least 8 distinctly different types of intelligence that
everyone possesses to some degree. What is interesting is that most people are strong in at
least 3 of them. What will you be strongest in?
a. Read about the Multiple Intelligences.
b. Predict on your Personal Profile which 3 intelligences you will be strongest in and
which is your weakest intelligence.
c. Take the Multiple Intelligence Quiz – there are 60 questions and it takes about 10
minutes.
d. Record your results on your Personal Profile.
e. Comment upon your predictions vs. your results on your Personal Profile.
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
2. There are many different ways to learn a skill. Some people find that they learn best when
they hear something (auditory learners), while others learn better by watching something
(visual learners), and still others learn best when they use a hands-on approach (kinesthetic
learners). Preferred learning styles are often linked to your strongest intelligences. The
styles that you prefer will probably also vary depending upon what you are trying to learn.
a. Read about the Seeing, Hearing, Doing Quiz.
b. Predict on your Personal Profile the order from highest to lowest of your preferred
learning styles.
c. Take the Seeing, Hearing, Doing Quiz – there are 24 questions and it takes about 5
minutes.
d. Record your results on your Personal Profile.
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e. Review the Learning Strategies that are recommended for your preferred learning
style. Record in your Personal Profile 3 strategies associated with your most
preferred learning style that you have used or think you will use in the future.
f. Comment upon your prediction vs. the results on the quiz on your Personal Profile.
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
3. You have been in school since you were 5, and you have probably discovered that there are
some subjects that you really love and some you really dislike. You can use your
experiences with these subjects to begin your career exploration.
a. Go to the Career Opportunities Related to School Subject Areas website.
b. Click on your 3 favourite subjects. In your Personal Profile record 3 careers that are
associated with each of those subjects.
c. You may want to print out the report for your most favourite subject(s) and place it in
your Portfolio.
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
4. When you are planning your career path, it is important to know what employability skills
you have, and which ones you still need to work on. In general, employability skills refer to
your communication, problem solving, positive attitudes and behaviours, adaptability,
working with others and your science, technology, and mathematical skills.
a. Complete the Employability Skills 2000+ assessment. Record in your Personal
Profile 3 skills you’re confident using, 3 skills your less confident using and 3 skills
you want to improve.
b. Print a copy of the report and store it in your Portfolio. You will need it when you do
your resume and cover letter assignment.
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
5. Everyone has activities that they find easier to perform than other activities. Occupations
have different sets of activities that use various levels and combinations of aptitudes or
abilities. Before you pick a career path you need to think about what your abilities and
aptitudes are in relation to those in specific career paths.
a. Take the Abilities Quiz – there are 39 questions and it takes about 10 minutes.
b. Record your results on your Personal Profile.
c. Record in your Personal Profile four of the occupations (listed in the right side of the
page) that match your results. Pick the ones you are most interested in learning more
about.
d. Comment upon the results. Was the ranking of your abilities surprising or as you
expected? Were you surprised about any recommended occupations?
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
Planning 10 – EOP
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6. How you spend your spare time—hanging with friends, playing sports, listening to music,
working on your car, or shopping—reflects your interests. These interests and the way you
like to work are important to consider in deciding on a career path. No one wants to spend
time working in a career field that they have little or no interest in.
a. Take the Work Preference Quiz– there are 50 questions and it takes about 15 minutes.
b. Record your results on your Personal Profile.
c. Record in your Personal Profile four of the occupations (listed in the right side of the
page) that match your results. Pick the ones you are most interested in learning more
about.
d. Comment upon the results. Was the ranking of your work type preferences surprising
or as you expected? Were you surprised about any recommended occupations?
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
7. Think about the things that are really important to you: your family, your success, money,
health, activity, etc. These are your values, which are influenced by your family, your
friends, your culture, and your own life experiences. Values are not entirely stable; they will
change overtime as you experience life. Finding an occupation or career field that fits with
your values is important for your future happiness.
a. Take the Work Values Quiz–there are 33 questions and it takes about 20 minutes.
b. Record your results on your Personal Profile.
c. Comment upon the results. Were you surprised about your apparent work
motivations, the way you like to interact with others, and/or your preferred work
setting?
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
8. You are now going to complete the final set of career assessments in this course. It uses an
integrated set of assessments, to give you a list of career matches – along with the detailed
information about each career, which you will use in future lessons.
a. Access the Career Cruising website. (you will need to use the ID: alf and the
Password: careers)
b. Click on the Career Matchmaker link. Enter your first and last name and start your
Matchmaker session. Answer all 39 questions on Your Likes and Dislikes. When
you are finished you will see a list of career matches. Record your top 10 matches in
your Personal Profile in the order beginning with your number 1 rank.
c. Click on My Skills link and answer the 45 questions on what skills you currently have.
Record the coded letter beside each of the career matches you recorded in your
Personal Profile.
d. Record in your Personal Profile the BC Focus Areas that your interests were matched
with.
Planning 10 – EOP
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e. Select 3 careers that you might be interested in pursuing at some point in your life.
They don’t have to be in your top rank, but they should be on your matchmaker list.
List them in your Personal Profile, record the rank and skill match code of each.
f. For each career of the 3 careers you have selected. Print out the job description,
working conditions, earnings, education, and sample career path reports. You will
use this information in future assignments. Store these in your Portfolio.
g. Save your matchmaker results, so if you need to come back to the results at a later
date, you can.
h. Comment upon the results. Were you surprised about your matches?
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
9. Having identified some potential careers you would be interested in, it is also important to
think about whether or not there will be any jobs available in that career once you have
finished the required schooling. Fortunately for you, there are people whose job it is to
collect Labour Market Information and make it easily available on the internet. Go to the BC
Work Futures web site Occupation Profiles section. Use the alphabetical index to research
each of the occupations you identified in question 7:
a. Print out about the Current Workforce
b. Print out about the Employment Prospects and Career Paths
c. Complete the Work Futures section of your Personal Profile.
Students will complete the appropriate section of their Personal Profile.
Planning 10 – EOP
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10. In the previous lesson, you learned there were 8 Focus Areas as defined in the BC
Graduation Program. Now that you have had some time to research your interests, skills,
values, and career matches, it is time to explore these focus areas and their associated careers.
a. Learn about each of the Focus Areas.
b. Sort the 48 careers listed below into the 8 Focus Areas. (Note: there are 6 of each)
Students will complete the following table. The order doesn’t matter, just the
placement in the correct category.
Business and
Applied Business
Financial planner
Office assistant
Salesperson
Entrepreneur
Realtor
Human resources
manager
Fine Arts, Design,
and Media
Film director
Photographer
Interior designer
Choreographer
Musician
Art curator
Liberal
Arts/Humanities
Science and
Applied Science
Anthropologist
Urban planner
Librarian
Journalist
Archivist
Museum curator
Geologist
Lab technician
Veterinarian
technician
Surveyor
Chemical engineer
Pharmacist
Fitness and
Recreation
Aerobics instructor
Trainer
Recreation
coordinator
Gym facilities
manager
Coach
Team manager
Tourism,
Hospitality, and
Foods
Health and
Human Services
Police officer
Social worker
Nurse
Paramedic
Day care worker
Counsellor
Hotel manager
Flight attendant
Chef
Fishing guide
Ski instructor
Bartender
Aircraft technician
Car mechanic
Carpenter
Millwright
Plumber
Welder
Trades and
Technology
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
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Education and Careers – Post Secondary Education
There is an index to all public and private Colleges, Community Colleges, and Universities
located in BC at http://www.univsource.com/bc.htm.
There is also a great website called the Education Planner at http://www.educationplanner.bc.ca
Education Planner is an educational planning resource that is available to the public free of
charge. Its primary purpose is to provide clear, reliable and detailed information about postsecondary programs available in BC. Using Education Planner can help students make wellinformed decisions about their education and career options.
The information in Education Planner is collected and verified with the cooperation of the postsecondary institutions in BC. Institutions make changes to their programs and requirements and
as a result, Education Planner is updated on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
One of the main features of Education Planner is that it is able to search nearly 1700
undergraduate programs offered at BC universities, colleges, university colleges and institutes at
one time. This enables users to find programs by
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field of study,
specific subject area,
program length,
credential granted, or
institution.
Users can compare program details, such as admission requirements, tuition fees, start dates and
application deadlines. Essentially, it provides access to information about BC's institutions in
one place and eliminates the need to gather individual institutional information from a variety of
sources.
In addition to the Program Search, the site also has valuable information on
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student loans and awards ,
student services offered by the institutions ,
services for students with special needs,
Who Offers What (WOW), a searchable grid useful for creating comparisons,
access to apprenticeship information,
access to occupational information (Work Futures),
access to the online post-secondary application service (PASBC),
lesson plans and resources for educators and counsellors, and
ways parents and friends can help learners plan their education.
Planning 10 – EOP
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1. Go to the Education Planner website and click on the information For Students tab and then
select Institutional Information. Identify 5 post-secondary institutions in our region.
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Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
Okanagan College
Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University – Open Learning
University of British Columbia – Okanagan
2. On the Education Planner website click on the information For Students tab and then select
Who Offers What? Use the page to find answers to the following questions.

Which Universities in BC offer a Bachelor Degree in Environmental
Studies/Science?
University of Northern BC, Royal Roads University, Thompson River
University, UBC, UBC- Okanagan, Simon Fraser University, BCIT,
and Trinity Western University

Which institutions in the Vancouver Island Region offer a diploma in
Finance?
Camosun College and Vancouver Island University
3. Given the careers you identified as ones you are potentially interested in over your career
lifetime, identify at least 2 different specific programs you could see yourself pursuing at
some point during your lifetime.
Note: a Program is a collection of courses, taken over a period of time which lead to
certification. It could be an Apprenticeship program, a Special Education certificate, an
Arts diploma, a Bachelor degree, a Masters degree, or even a Doctoral degree.
Students need to identify 2 programs. If they don’t, stop marking and have
them revise this assignment.
4. For each program you identified in question #3, identify at least three Post Secondary
Institutions that you could attend to complete that program of studies.
Students need to identify at least 3 institutions for each of the 2 programs
they identified in question #3. You can check the accuracy of the information
using the Education Planner website or the internet in general.
Planning 10 – EOP
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5. Identify the 2 schools and programs you are most likely to pursue after high school. Your
task is to complete the following chart for the 2 programs. You can use either the Education
Planner website or the website of the specific Post Secondary Institution you are considering
attending. Print a copy of the table and store it in your Portfolio.
Program Name
Institution
City
Subjects/Courses
required
Admission
Requirements
(include any specific
courses and marks)
Application Fee
Tuition Fees
(approximate)
Books and Supplies
(approximate)
Length of Program
Students are to complete the chart for the 2 programs they selected.
6. Do these prerequisites change your planned high school courses? Are there any courses you
thought you needed to take, but found out you don’t? If so, which ones? Are there any
courses you didn’t know you would need to take? If so, which ones?
Students are to compare what they wrote down for their graduation course
plan in assignment # 1 of this course against the entrance requirements.
They are to note any additional courses they need to add or any they no
longer need.
Planning 10 – EOP
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7. Identify at least 3 pros and 3 cons for attending each of the institutions/programs you chose
in question #3. Based on your analysis, which of these two institutions/programs will you
most likely pursue?
School/Program #1
School/Program #2
Name of school/program
Name of school/program
Students should list as many good
things about this program as they
can think of ....probably at least 3.
Students should list as many good
things about this program as they
can think of ....probably at least 3.
Pros
eg. well-respected program,
good instructors, close to
home, on-campus housing
available, scholarship, etc.
eg. well-respected program,
good instructors, close to
home, on-campus housing
available, scholarship, etc.
Cons
Students should list as many
challenges with attending this
program as they can think of
....probably at least 3
eg. cost, distance from home,
length of the program, new
program so not much
information on it
Students should list as many
challenges with attending this
program as they can think of
....probably at least 3
eg. cost, distance from
home, length of the
program, new program so
not much information on it
Planning 10 – EOP
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8. For Grad Transitions you are required to set short-term and long-term career goals. The key
to goal setting is to set a limited number of realistic manageable goals, and then to write a
brief action plan for how you will reach your goal. Complete the following table to state and
begin the process of outlining your plans for achieving a specific short-term and long-term
career goal.
My long-term career goal is . . .
Education or training required:
Education entrance requirements:
Other requirements:
Approximate Costs
Tuition: per year
Books and Supplies: per year
My short-term goals, which will support Steps I will take to achieve the related shortmy long-term career goal, are …
term goals are…
1.
2.
3.
Students need to complete the above chart with specific information.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
Page 29 of 140
Education and Careers – Workplace Safety
Read the article, New Worker Safety, which is supplied in the Workplace Safety Readings. It
outlines how vulnerable young workers are in the workplace.
Work Safe BC has a section of its website [http://www.worksafebc.com/] devoted to Young
Workers [www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/YoungWorker/Resources-YoungWorkers.asp]. On
that part of their site you can see award winning videos created by teens to help their peers be
safe at work. If you scroll further down the page, you will see a collection of Young Worker
Videos, which show real teens who have survived workplace accidents and want to share their
experience with other youth. These videos are graphic both in terms of images and language.
There is a video there called Lost Youth which you need to watch. The video features the true
stories of four injured young workers, whose lives have been permanently changed by their
workplace accidents. Michael, Jennifer, John, and Nick talk emotionally about learning to live
with the aftermath of their accidents. Their parents also speak about their children’s shattered
bodies and dreams. While the accident scenes are re-creations and not real, the young people,
their parents, and their stories are real. If you are worried that you may become upset by the
reality of the video, you can look away during the accident scenes (which come toward the end
of the video). But it is important that you see the realities for youth in the workplace.
1. After watching the video, complete the Student Handout 1: Video Quiz which is included in
the readings for this lesson. Review your answers using Student Handout 2: Video Quiz
Answer Key. List 3 specific things you learned or found interesting based on the answer key.
See the copy of Student Handout 2 behind this key. Students must identify 3
specific things they learned or found interesting based on the answer key.
2. Write a paragraph about what you saw on the video and what you believe are the three most
important things you, and other students, can learn from the experiences of Michael, Jennifer,
John, and Nick. You must identify 3 specific things you learned.
Students must identify 3 specific things they learned in a well-written
paragraph.
3. Review the handout - Lesson 3: Major Causes of Workplace Injury, which is included in the
readings for this lesson. Identify 3 similarities between the causes of injury in the different
areas?
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Improper lifting - food service, food retail, retail, and warehouse
Contact with hot objects - food service and food retail
Poor posture - food service, food retail, and retail
Improper use of equipment is – food retail, retail, logging, and warehouse
Repetitive lifting – food retail, retail, and construction
Other answers are possible. See the copy of Lesson 3 behind this key.
4. At the Workers Compensation Board website there is a section called Safety at work
(http://www2.worksafebc.com/Safety/Home.asp). Research the main industry that you are
Planning 10 – EOP
Page 30 of 140
interested in and write at least one paragraph analysing the injury prevention strategies with
your potential work activities. For example, you could go into the Forestry/Silviculture/Tree
Planting section and write about preventing tree planting injuries by using good planting
techniques, maintaining good physical fitness, and choosing an appropriate shovel.
Students need to write a well-written paragraph on the safety issues in their
chosen career field.
5. Use the statistics section of the Young Workers Safety website (address given below) to
determine what the trend is in overall young worker injury rates between 2003 and 2007.
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/YoungWorker/Home.asp
Young worker injury rates have been relatively stable over the time period.
They are higher than the injury rates for the general worker. Young males
are more likely than young females to be injured at work. Young male
injury rates rose slightly between 2003 and 2006, and then fell back to almost
the 2003 rate in 2007.
A “hazard” is an action or situation that could cause injury or death. Workplace hazards can be
categorized into 4 groups:
•
Physical hazards: involve accidents or physical trauma (e.g., slipping or tripping hazards,
unstable ladders, using a saw without the guard, getting into altercations with violent
customers)
•
Chemical hazards: involve burns, rashes, or illness resulting from exposure to unsafe
chemicals, e.g., chemical spills, improper handling or use of a chemical substance,
prolonged exposure to toxic fumes
•
Ergonomic hazards: involve injuries resulting from improper lifting, repetitive motions,
overextending (e.g., spending long periods at the computer, poor set-up of workstation)
•
Biological hazards: involve exposure to unhealthy germs, bacteria, and other life forms
(e.g., contact with used needles, contact with bodily fluids, exposure to poisonous plants,
insects, or reptiles)
Planning 10 – EOP
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There are three key steps that can be used to control a hazard: Recognition, Evaluation, and
Control. A simple way of remembering these steps is
•
See it. Questions to ask: What is unsafe? How many unsafe acts or conditions are there?
What are the hazards?
•
Think it. Questions to ask: Why is it a hazardous situation? What could happen? What is
creating the hazard? What injuries could occur?
•
Do it. Questions to ask: What could be done to prevent an accident from happening?
What could minimize the risk? What could be done to eliminate or minimize the hazard?
6. In the readings for this lesson there is a collection of photos labelled Student Handout 10:
Hazard Recognition Scenarios, as well as Student Handout 11: Hazard Recognition Activity
Worksheet. Using the “See it, Think it, Do it” strategy, and writing directly on each photo,
• identify the hazards,
• explain why they are unsafe, and
• what must be done to make them safe
There is also another related website for young workers called Raise Your Hand, which is
encouraging young workers to ask questions and stand up for the safety rights at work. Check it
out.
7. A friend comes up to you and asks, “What’s all this stuff about work-related risk reduction
and injury prevention? What’s the big deal? Why is it so important?” Write a well-written
paragraph, using the information from this lesson, as well as any personal experience or
knowledge you have, to explain it to him.
Students should explain that there is a cost factor to both the injured person,
the employer, and the province when someone gets hurt. Also an injury can
be life-changing, if it doesn’t kill you. Life-changing are perhaps the hardest
to deal with emotionally and psychologically. Suddenly the career you’ve
trained for and feel passionate is about is no longer an option. Re-training
may be a possibility, but it is also possible you will face a life of pain and an
inability to work at all. That puts a huge strain on family and friends, as well
as on the victim of the injury.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
Page 33 of 140
Education and Careers – Workplace Rights and Responsibilities
Before you start any job, you should know what the rules and regulations are in place to ensure
you are treated fairly. In BC the Employment Standards Act sets out the rules for treatment of all
employees in the province, who are not covered by a separate collective agreement (i.e. a
contract between a union and an employer).
1. Use the Employment Standards Act to answer each of the following questions.
a. What is the minimum age an applicant must be for an employer to hire them without
the written permission of the parent?
The minimum age is 15 years old.
b. Who has to give permission for an employer to hire a 10-year-old applicant?
The Director of Employment Standards must give permission for such an
applicant.
c. Can an employer charge a fee to applicants interested in applying for a job?
No an employer can not charge applicants a fee to apply for a job.
d. Who must be licensed under the act?
Employment agencies, talent agencies, and labour contractors must be
registered under the act.
e. How soon after the employer fires/lays off an employee, does the employer have to
pay any outstanding wages?
The employer must pay the employee within 48 hours.
f. How soon after an employee quits does an employer have to pay the employee any
outstanding wages?
The employer must pay the employee within 6 days.
g. Can the employer charge employees for the purchase and upkeep of their uniforms?
No, the employer can not charge employees for the purchase or upkeep costs
of uniforms.
Planning 10 – EOP
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h. List 4 things that must appear on an employee’s written pay statement.
Students may list any 4 of the following:
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the employer's name and address;
the hours worked by the employee;
the employee's wage rate, whether paid hourly, on a salary basis or
on a flat rate, piece rate, commission or other incentive basis;
the employee's overtime wage rate;
the hours worked by the employee at the overtime wage rate;
any money, allowance or other payment the employee is entitled to;
the amount of each deduction from the employee's wages and the
purpose of each deduction;
if the employee is paid other than by the hour or by salary, how the
wages were calculated for the work the employee is paid for;
the employee's gross and net wages;
how much money the employee has taken from the employee's time
bank and how much remains.
i. What is the maximum number of hours an employee can work without a meal break?
An employee can only work for 5 hours before they must have a meal break.
j. What is the minimum length of an unpaid meal break?
The minimum length of an unpaid meal break is 30 minutes.
k. Joe started working at 7 a.m. He worked for 4 hours. The employer wants him to
come back at 5 p.m. How late can he work that day? Why?
He can work until 7 p.m. because he has to complete his shift within 12 hours
of starting his split shift that morning at 7 a.m.
l. Denise was supposed to work an 8 hour shift. However, 10 minutes after she started
her shift, the power goes out and is not expected to be back on until sometime in the
middle of the night. The boss sends Denise home. How many hours must she be
paid for that night?
She must be paid for 2 hours because she reported to work. Even though the
problem is out of the employer’s control, Denise is entitled to be paid for a
minimum of 2 hours.
Planning 10 – EOP
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m. After how many hours per day and per week does an employee receive overtime pay?
After 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week, an employee must receive overtime
pay.
n. Melissa cannot be required to work the following schedule:
Friday: 6 pm – midnight
Saturday: 6 am – 2 pm
Explain why not.
Melissa must have 8 consecutive hours off work between shifts, and she
would only have had 6 hours.
o. How many consecutive hours from work must every employee have every week?
Each employee must have 32 hours of consecutive free hours each week.
p. If Wayne is receiving $10 an hour what is his overtime rate of pay?
Wayne’s overtime rate of pay is 1.5 times the $10, so it is $15/hr.
q. Who is entitled to be compensated for a statutory holiday?
An employee who has worked 15 of the previous 30 calendar days is entitled
to be paid for the statutory holiday.
r. How many days per year can an employee take time off to take their child to
medical/education appointments? Is such time off paid or unpaid time?
Under Family Responsibility Leave, an employee can request up to 5 days off
for medical/education issues for their family members. This is unpaid leave.
s. How much vacation pay does an employee earn? When must it be paid?
After 5 consecutive days of employment, an employee earns 4% of their
yearly wages. After 5 consecutive years of employment, an employee earns
6% of their yearly wages. Holiday pay must be paid at least 7 days before
the employee’s annual vacation.
t. How do you make a complaint about a violation of the Employment Standards Act?
You put your complaint in writing and deliver it to an office of the
Employment Standards Branch.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Read pages 10 - 17 of the Rights and Responsibilities Program Guide, which is included in the
readings for this lesson.
2. Assume you have just gone to work and have discovered that something on the job site is a
potential danger to yourself and others. What do you do next?
WCB requires that you not perform work if you reasonably believe it is
unsafe to do so. Therefore, you need to contact your supervisor and report
the safety issue to them and request that it be fixed so it is safe for you to
work.
3. What do you do if you are told to do something on the job that you believe is unsafe? Be
sure to list all the steps, so that you are protected and the boss can’t fire you.




Discuss the situation with your supervisor or employer.
If the matter is not resolved, involve a worker representative.
If the matter is still not resolved, a WCB field officer is called in by both
worker and management representatives.
You must be given other duties to perform while the matter is under
investigation. Do those activities, even if they are not your normal
activities.
4. Complete the Rights and Responsibilities – Test, which is included in the readings for this
lesson.
See the answer key provided after this page.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Education and Careers – Job Search
When applying for a job, it is customary to prepare a resume and cover letter. The purpose of
the cover letter is to get the employer to look at your resume. The purpose of the resume is to get
an interview with the person doing the hiring. And naturally, the purpose of the interview is to
find out more about the job and have it offered to you.
Access the following learning objects to learn about resumes.



http://media.openschool.bc.ca/osbcmedia/pl10/pl103/pl1033b2a001.html
http://media.openschool.bc.ca/osbcmedia/pl10/pl103/pl1033b3a001.html
http://media.openschool.bc.ca/osbcmedia/pl10/pl103/pl1033b1h001.html (Scroll over the
sections on the resume to learn what should go in each.)
Access the following learning object to learn about cover letters. When it opens, place your
mouse over a grey section to learn about what should be in that section.

http://media.openschool.bc.ca/osbcmedia/pl10/pl103/pl1033c1a001.html
A cover letter is always written as a standard business letter. It should be typed, unless the job
advertisement requests it be handwritten. Regardless of whether it is word-processed or
handwritten it should meet all the expectations for a business letter:

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





one-inch margins
return address at the top, left margin
date at the left margin
salutation (Dear Mr.____________) is followed by a colon (:)
single space within paragraphs, double space between them
complimentary closing (Your sincerely) is followed by a comma
handwritten signature in the space between the complimentary closing and your typed
name
begin all lines at the left margin
Think of a specific hypothetical job you could apply for right now with your current
knowledge and set of skills. If possible pick one that is related to your career interests.
Planning 10 – EOP
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1. Write a resume that is no more than 2 pages long. Your resume should include

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personal information
a career objective
education, skills, and training
work and volunteer experience;
hobbies and interests; and
references (minimum 2).
Store a copy of your resume in your Portfolio.
There are many good resume writing websites for students. Three of them are given
below. Check them out before writing your resume. Note: if any of the sites on the
next page are “dead”, try googling “resumes for students” or “resume writing for
beginners”.
http://careerservices.class.umn.edu/students/workopportunities/resume/index.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/resumewriting/a/firstresume.htm
http://www.businesswritingtips.com/images/resumewritingNP.pdf
Students need to submit their resume in proper format.
2. Write a cover letter for the specific hypothetical job you’ve identified. Your cover letter
should identify what the job is, where you heard about the job, what skills you have that
make you suitable for the job, and request that they consider you for the position. It should
also request that they look at your enclosed resume and request an interview. Be sure to
include how and when they can best reach you to arrange an interview.
There are many good websites on writing cover letters. Check them out before you write
your cover letter. Note: if any of the sites below are “dead”, try googling “writing cover
letters for students”.
http://www.csuchico.edu/plc/coverltr-ex.html
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/career/guides/cover_ltr.shtml
http://www.aie.org/highschool/jobs/Resumes/coverletters.cfm
Students must submit their cover letter in proper format.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Often when you go to apply for a job, you will be asked to fill out an application form.
Employers are not only collecting important information about you, they are evaluating how you
are at following directions, how legible your printing is, and whether or not you came prepared
to provide the information. Never simply attach a resume in place of completing an application.
It sends the message that you couldn’t be bothered to to copy the information in a form they
require for their business.
Generally the information you are asked for on an application form is similar to what is in your
resume. So if you carefully and completely prepare your resume, you should have all the
required information to complete any application form.
3. Pick up or download from the internet an application from a local company or national chain
(such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, or Canadian Tire.) Fill out the application
using ink and submit it with this assignment.
Students must submit a completed application in ink.
Most high school students will work during school or during the summers before they graduate.
If you are not currently working or if you want to find a different job, you can use your network
– people you know or you can get to know—to help you get an interview for a job. After all,
you have your resume and know how to create a cover letter targeted to a particular job
possibility. So who is in your network? Start by watching the video below:
http://media.openschool.bc.ca/osbcmedia/pl10/pl103/pl1031a1a001.html
4. Identify 10 people in your network. All information will be kept confidential. Be sure to
organize your list either in order of the individual’s importance or by category: personal,
professional (the school/work world), or organizational (i.e. groups you belong to). Print a
copy and put it in your Portofolio.
Name
Occupation
Employer
Address
Contact
Info.
Students need to have completed the chart with real people.
How you know
them
Planning 10 – EOP
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Read the article on Human Rights in British Columbia, which is located in the readings for this
lesson.
5. Provide 5 examples of questions employers should NOT ask in an interview. Be sure to
phrase them as questions and punctuate them properly.
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What race are you?
What color are you?
What is your ancestry or place of origin?
How old are you?
Do you have children?
Are you able to bear children?
Do you have AIDS?
Are you addicted to drugs or alcohol?
What is your religion?
Are you married?
What is your sexual orientation?
Have you ever been convicted of a crime?
What political party do you support?
There are many other potential answers. Check the handout which follows this
page for more possibilities.
6.
What should you do if a potential employer asks one of the inappropriate questions (keep in
mind that you do want the job)?
Accept a reasonable answer that has been justified. Some students will say they will
answer the question and see if they are offered the job. If they aren’t they could report
the employer. Actually they could report the employer either way. Some students will
say, “I would rather not answer that question,” and risk not getting the job. Some
students will say, “Under employment law you are not permitted to ask me that
question.” Some students will say, “Can you help me understand why that question is
relevant to this job?”
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7. Choose 15 of the following “tough” questions that an employer might ask you in an
interview. Print a copy of your answers and place it in your Portfolio.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.
t.
u.
v.
w.
x.
y.
z.
Why are you leaving your current job?
How do you handle stress?
Describe a time when you have shown initiative.
What specifically would your references say about you?
How would your friends describe you?
How would you describe yourself?
What do you do in your spare time?
Describe a time where you had to deal with a personality conflict at school or
work.
What are your strengths in general?
What do you consider to be your greatest technical strengths?
Describe a time when you had to juggle several assignments at once. What did
you do?
Describe a time when you used facts or reason to change someone’s mind.
Describe a time when you were unwilling to make a sacrifice to achieve a goal.
Which of your past experiences have prepared you for this job?
Why do you want to work for us?
What are your future career plans?
Describe a time when you used creativity to solve a problem.
Describe a time when you made a mistake and learned from it.
What are your weaknesses?
Describe a time when you identified a potential problem and solved it before it
became serious.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Describe a time when you made a major sacrifice to achieve a goal.
Describe a time when you were disappointed with your time.
Describe a past relationship with an adult who was important to you.
Describe a time when you were on a team and a member was not pulling his
weight. What did you do and why?
Why should we hire you?
Student needs to answer 15 of the questions in proper sentence form. Look for
thoughtful responses that show the student in a positive light.
8. There are two criteria that you will need to meet in the Community Connections section of
Graduation Transitions:


Participate in at least 30 hours of work experience, either paid or volunteer.
Able to describe the duties that you performed, the employability skills that you are
using, and how that experience benefited you and your community.
Describe your ideas for how could you complete those 30 hours before graduation?
Students need to identify at least one job they are considering.
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Planning 10 – EOP
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Health – Healthy Eating and Exercise
1. Health information is available from a variety of sources. For each term below, find a
definition AND describe how it relates to health:

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calories (be sure to locate the definition related to health and nutrition)
proteins
carbohydrates
sugar
cholesterol
saturated fats
trans fats
Calories – used to express food energy, e.g. when discussing dieting or nutrition
plans. Under this definition, 1 g of pure carbohydrate yields about 4 Calories of
energy, and the recommended intake for an adult person is about 2,000 - 2,500
Calories/day. If you eat more calories than your burn through exercise, you will
gain weight. If you eat less than you burn through exercise, you will lose weight.
Being overweight or underweight is not good for your health.
Proteins – Dietary sources of protein include meats, eggs, nuts, grains, legumes, and
dairy products such as milk and cheese. Of the 20 amino acids used by humans in
protein synthesis, 11 "nonessential" amino acids can be synthesized in sufficient
quantities by the adult body, and are not required in the diet (though there are
exceptions for some in special cases). The nine essential amino acids, plus arginine
for the young, cannot be created by the body and must come from dietary sources.
Women aged 19-70 need to consume 46 grams of protein per day, while men need to
consume 56 grams of protein per day to avoid a deficiency. Because the body is
continually breaking down protein from tissues, if you don’t get enough protein the
body will take it from your muscles.
Carbohydrates – They are the most common source of energy in living things.
Carbohydrates are not essential nutrients in humans: the body can obtain all its
energy from protein and fats. However, the brain and neurons generally cannot
burn fat and need glucose for energy and carbohydrates provide glucose. Foods
high in carbohydrates include breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and
cereals. Most such foods are high in starch. Dietary guidelines generally
recommend that complex carbohydrates, and such nutrient-rich simple
carbohydrate sources such as fruit (glucose or fructose) and dairy products (lactose)
make up the bulk of carbohydrate consumption. This excludes such sources of
simple sugars as candy and sugary drinks. Unused carbohydrates are converted into
fat and stored in the body.
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Sugar – Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose,
and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food
carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also
appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple (in maple syrup), and in many other
sources. It forms the main ingredient in much candy. Excessive consumption of
sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity and
tooth decay.
Cholesterol – Cholesterol is a lipid found in the cell membranes and transported in
the blood plasma of animals. It is an essential component of mammalian cell
membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and
fluidity. Most cholesterol is synthesized by the body, but significant quantities can
also be absorbed from the diet. While minimum levels of cholesterol is essential for
life, excess can contribute to diseases such as atherosclerosis – hardening of the
arteries due to a build up of plaque. Cholesterol is exclusively found in animal fats.
Major dietary sources of cholesterol include cheese, egg yolks, beef, pork, poultry,
and shrimp. Dietary cholesterol plays a smaller role in blood cholesterol levels in
comparison to fat intake. Trans and saturated fats are significant contributors to
elevated cholesterol levels in the blood stream.
Saturated Fats – Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only
saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids form straight chains and, as a result, can
be packed together very tightly, allowing living organisms to store chemical energy
very densely. The fatty tissues of animals contain large amounts of long-chain
saturated fatty acids. Fat that occurs naturally in living matter contains varying
proportions of saturated and unsaturated fat. Foods that contain a high proportion
of saturated fat are dairy products (especially cream and cheese but also butter and
ghee), animal fats such as suet, tallow, lard and fatty meat, coconut oil, cottonseed
oil, palm kernel oil and chocolate, and some prepared foods. Diets high in saturated
fat are correlated with an increased incidence of atherosclerosis, coronary heart
disease, and stroke.
Trans Fats – This is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat with transisomer fatty acids. Trans fats may be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.
Most trans fats consumed today are created industrially in partial hydrogenation of
plant oils — a process developed in the early 1900s and first commercialized as
Crisco in 1911. The goal of partial hydrogenation is to add hydrogen atoms to cisunsaturated fats, making them more saturated. These saturated fats have a higher
melting point, which makes them attractive for baking and extends their shelf-life.
However, the catalyst also catalyses a side reaction that isomerizes some of the cisunsaturated fats into trans-unsaturated fats instead of hydrogenating them
completely. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats are neither essential nor
salubrious[1] and, in fact, the consumption of trans fats increases one's risk of
coronary heart disease[2] by raising levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and lowering
levels of "good" HDL cholesterol
Planning 10 – EOP
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Knowing what you are eating is an important step in ensuring you are eating nutritiously.
Nutrition facts are listed on the packaging for most foods in Canada. Read the article
Interactive Nutrition Label: Get the Facts and the Frequently Asked Questions About
Nutrition Labelling, which is located in the readings for this lesson.
2. Complete the Nutrition Labels Quiz, which follows those articles. Write your answers to the
9 questions directly on the quiz, being sure to circle the part of the label you used to
determine your answer.
See the key on the following pages. Students should circle their answer and where
they looked on the label to answer the question.
3. List 5 specific items that are not required to have a nutrition label.
Students must list 5 items. They may list any of the following if pre-packaged:

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
fresh fruit and vegetables
raw meat and poultry (except when ground), and raw fish and seafood
food products that are prepared from ingredients or from pre-mixes at the place
where they are sold
- examples are bakery items, sausages made at retail
products with insignificant amounts of all 13 core nutrients in a normal serving
- examples are coffee beans, tea leaves, herbs and spices, and food colours
alcoholic beverages
foods sold at road-side stands, craft shows, flea markets, fairs, farmers' markets
and sugar bushes by the same person who made them
small amounts of food that have been packaged at the retail establishment and
sold on site
individual servings of food intended for immediate consumption that have not
been subjected to a process to extend their shelf-life
- examples are packaged sandwiches sold in canteens, vending machines or
refrigerated counters
single portions of food served with meals or snacks, such as condiments
single pieces of candy that are packaged and sold individually
milk and cream sold in refillable glass bottles
Students may also list foods that are not pre-packaged:



foods served or sold in restaurants, cafeterias and take-outs
meats and cheeses sold at a deli counter
fresh fruit and vegetables
4. Why do these foods not require nutritional information to be printed on them?
Since it is difficult to provide labelling for pre-packed foods under certain
conditions, exemptions have been allowed for some foods.
Planning 10 – EOP
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5. Where could you find the nutritional information for exempted items?
Consumers can find nutritional information on exempted foods in informational
binders in grocery stores, reference booklets, and the internet.
Read the Canadian Food Guide. Pay particular attention to the serving size information.
Read The Food Facts handout.
6. Answer the following questions re: your consumption of Snack Foods:
In an average week,







How much pop do you consume?
How many bags of snack foods such as potato chips, pretzels or cheesies do you
consume? (Are they large bags or small bags?)
How often do you eat sweets such as candy or chocolate bars?
How often do you eat baked or fried sweets such as cookies or donuts?
How often do you eat sweetened cereal for breakfast?
How often do you eat at fast-food restaurants?
How often do you “super-size” your order?
Students need to answer the questions above.
7. According to the Canadian Food Guide, it is recommended that males, aged 15-18, consume
approximately 2800 calories a day, while females of the same age should consume
approximately 2100 calories a day. Have you ever wondered what percentage of your daily
caloric intake, would be used up with one fast food meal? Let’s find out.




What is your favourite fast-food restaurant?
What is your favourite meal to order at that restaurant?
(Note: If you don’t ever eat fast food, then ask a friend of yours for their
favourite, so you can complete this exercise.)
Go to www.calorieking.com/foods to determine the calories of each item in that meal,
the fat content of each item, as well as the total calories and fat for the meal.
 Click on Fast-Food Chains and Restaurants link
 On far right side click on the Choose A Brand drop down box to select
your favourite restaurant and click GO.
 Scroll through the list to locate the items in your favourite meal. Click
on them and the data for each item will be displayed. Record it.
Calculate the percentage of daily caloric in-take that meal represents for you.
Students must identify their favourite fast-food restaurant and meal at that
restaurant. Then, using the website provided, they must determine
 calories and fat for each item in the meal;
 total calories and fat for the meal; and
 the percentage of daily caloric in-take that meal represents.
Planning 10 – EOP
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8. Complete My Food Guide Servings Tracker – Food Intake Record for 7 days (one page for
each day of the week – you will need to print copies of the form in the readings section of
this lesson). Be sure you are using the correct form for your gender and age. Each day,
transfer the information on the Food Intake Record to the Servings Tracker on the back.
Also, check off any of the boxes on the right hand column that were true for you that day.
Students are required to record their food intake for 1 week. They need to submit 7
completed Intake Records and Servings Tracker records. Be sure they used the
correct form for their gender.
9. Examine the 7 days of data that you’ve collected on your eating habits. Based on that
information, write a paragraph evaluating your eating habits. Be sure to state whether or not
you are eating a healthy amount from each of the food groups, whether there are any changes
you should consider making, and how likely you are to make any changes.
Students need to submit a well-written paragraph, which shows they are analysed
the data and fairly evaluated their nutritional intake.
Read the Physical Activity and Exercise for Health articles located in the readings for this lesson.
10. Define frequency, intensity and duration in relation to physical activity?
Frequency: how often you perform the physical activity eg. 3 times a week
Intensity: how hard you work your body during that activity eg. moderate
Duration: how long the physical activity lasts eg. 35 minutes
11. Identify 5 different physical activities you have taken part in during the last month. For each
activity state the frequency, intensity, and duration.
Students need to list 5 different activities and provide the frequency, intensity, and
duration of each.
12. Why is it important to incorporate regular, quality exercise into your routine?
Physical activity improves health and well-being. It reduces stress, strengthens the
heart and lungs, increases energy levels, helps you maintain and achieve a healthy
body weight and it improves your outlook on life.
Research shows that physical inactivity can cause premature death, chronic disease
and disability. Health Canada encourages Canadians to integrate physical activity
into their everyday life; at home, at school, at work, at play and on the way ... that's
active living!
For children, regular physical activity is essential for healthy growth and
development. For adults, it allows daily tasks to be accomplished with greater ease
and comfort and with less fatigue. For seniors, weight-bearing physical activity
reduces the rate of bone loss associated with osteoporosis and regular physical
activity maintains strength and flexibility, balance and coordination and can help
reduce the risk of falls. Regular physical activity prolongs independent living.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Being physically active not only strengthens your body, it also makes you feel good
about yourself.
13. Provide a report of your Daily Physical Activity for this week and the previous week. Is your
current level of physical activity enough to maintain your health? Why?
Students should provide a report of their Daily Physical activity for a two-week
period. They must also provide an honest evaluation of their physical activity level
with reasons.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Health – Healthy Relationships
Dr. Robert Sternberg, a psychologist, developed a theory of love that is known as the “triangular
theory of love” because it looks at the interaction of three different components of interpersonal
relationships:
Intimacy – feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness you have to another
person
 Passion – the drive that leads to romance, physical attraction, and sexual intimacy
 Commitment – in the short-term it is the decision to remain with another person; in
the long-term it is the shared achievements and plans you have with that other person.

How much love you have another person depends upon the strength of the 3 components. What
type of love you have with another person depends upon the strength of one component in
relation to each of the other components. Dr. Sternberg explains the different stages and types
of love as different combinations of the three components. Over time, relationships will evolve
as the relative strengths of the components change. A relationship based on a three elements is
more likely to survive than one based on a single element.
Form of Love
Intimacy Passion Commitment
Nonlove is the absence of all three of Sternberg's components
of love.
Liking/friendship in this case is not used in a trivial sense.
Sternberg says that this intimate liking characterizes true
friendships, in which a person feels a bondedness, a warmth,
and a closeness with another but not intense passion or longterm commitment.
x
Infatuated love is pure passion. Romantic relationships often
start out as infatuated love and become romantic love as
intimacy develops over time. However, without developing
intimacy or commitment, infatuated love may disappear
suddenly.
x
Empty love is characterized by commitment without intimacy
or passion. Sometimes, a stronger love deteriorates into empty
love. In cultures in which arranged marriages are common,
relationships often begin as empty love and develop into one
of the other forms with the passing of time.
Romantic love bonds individuals emotionally through
intimacy and physically through passionate arousal.
x
x
x
Planning 10 – EOP
Form of Love
Companionate love is an intimate, non-passionate type of
love that is stronger than friendship because of the element of
long-term commitment. Sexual desire is not an element of
companionate love. This type of love is often found in
marriages in which the passion has gone out of the
relationship, but a deep affection and commitment remain.
The love ideally shared between family members is a form of
companionate love, as is the love between close friends who
have a platonic but strong friendship.
Page 50 of 140
Intimacy Passion Commitment
x
Fatuous love can be exemplified by a whirlwind courtship
and marriage in which a commitment is motivated largely by
passion without the stabilizing influence of intimacy. A
relationship, however, whereby an individual party agrees to
sexual favors purely out of commitment issues, or is
pressured/forced into sexual acts does not comprise Fatuous
love, and instead tends more to Empty love.
Consummate love is the complete form of love, representing
an ideal relationship toward which people strive. Of the seven
varieties of love, consummate love is theorized to be that love
associated with the “perfect couple”. According to Sternberg,
such couples will continue to have great sex fifteen years or
more into the relationship, they can not imagine themselves
happy over the long-term with anyone else, they overcome
their few difficulties gracefully, and each delight in the
relationship with one other. However, Sternberg cautions that
maintaining a consummate love may be even harder than
achieving it. He stresses the importance of translating the
components of love into action. "Without expression," he
warns, "even the greatest of loves can die". Thus,
consummate love may not be permanent. If passion is lost
over time, it may change into companionate love.
x
x
x
x
x
x
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1. Read the descriptions of the relationships below and decide what type of love is represented
in each relationship.
Description
Intimacy Passion Commitment
Carl and Jessica can’t keep their eyes or
hands off each other. Carl always
walks Jessica to class and they give
each other a kiss before Carl heads to
his class. They have known each other
for 2 weeks.
X
Lee and Wendy have known each other
since Kindergarten. They love
spending their spare time together as
they share a lot of the same interests.
Everyone thinks they should go to the
prom together, but they don’t think of
themselves as a couple.
X
Anne and Kelvin met a year ago. They
are both avid video gaming fans.
X
Georgina and Will have been married
for 30 years. Will has Alzheimer’s
disease and Georgina cares for him.
They are no longer sexually intimate.
Georgina is committed to caring for
Will for as long as necessary, as she
knows he would do it for her. Will is
aware of who Georgina is and they
spend time together gardening etc.
Students must complete the chart above.
Companionate Love
Liking/Friendship
X
X
Infatuated Love
X
Jerome and Barb have been married for
5 years. Jerome is physically and
sexually abusive to Barb. Barb feels
like she can’t leave Jerome because she
promised him “for better or worse”.
When he’s not being abusive Jerome
tends to hang with his friends and Barb
has her own separate interests.
Janet and Daniel have known each
other for 2 months. They declared it
was “love at first sight” and have gotten
married.
Form of Love
X
Empty Love
X
Fatuous Love
X
Companionate Love
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So now you know there are different types of love, it is time to make sure you know what makes
a relationship healthy. It is so easy to get caught up in a negative relationship, so the more you
know how to recognize the warning signs the better off you will be.
2. Go to www.youngwomenshealth.org/Quizzes/quiz_healthy1.html and take the relationship
quiz. After you’ve completed the quiz, click on “Go to the Guide” and read the web page
Healthy Relationships – A Guide for Teens. Identify at least 3 things you thought were
interesting or that you learned through this website.
The article follows this page. Students may list any 3 ideas they found particularly
interesting.
3. Go to www.youngmenshealthsite.org/safety_in_relat.html or
www.youngwomenshealth.org/safety_in_relat.html and read the web page Safety in
Relationships – A Guide for Teens. Identify at least 3 things you thought were interesting or
that you learned through this website.
The article follows this page. Students may list any 3 ideas they found particularly
interesting.
4. Make a list of 10 characteristics you look for in a friend or romantic partner.
Students need to list 10 characteristics. You might make a comment if the
characteristics seem superficial.
5. What are some “warning signs” that a relationship may be deteriorating?
Your friend or the person you are going out with

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

is jealous or possessive of you—he or she gets angry when you talk or hang
out with other friends or people of the opposite sex
bosses you around, makes all the decisions, tells you what to do
tells you what to wear, who to talk to, where you can go
is violent to other people, gets in fights a lot, loses his/her temper a lot
pressures you to have sex or to do something sexual that you don't want to
do
uses drugs and alcohol and tries to pressure you into doing the same thing
swears at you or uses mean language
blames you for his or her problems, tells you that it is your fault that he or
she hurt you
insults you or tries to embarrass you in front of other people
has physically hurt you
makes you feel scared of their reactions to things
calls to check up on you all the time and wants to always know where you
are going and who you are with
Planning 10 – EOP
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6. What do you do to help control your own anger?
Students should provide a reasonable answer. You might want to offer some
suggestions or comments, depending upon their strategies.
7. What do you do to help maintain healthy relationships with your friends and family?
Students should provide a reasonable answer. You might want to offer some
suggestions or comments, depending upon their strategies.
Conflict is a normal part of life. We are all very different people...that’s what makes life
interesting. However, it is also what can make it difficult to get along with other people.
Minor conflicts can often be handled by making your concern and point of view clear. How you
express yourself can have a significant impact on whether the conflict grows or is resolve. If you
express that point of view passively, you will probably be ignored. If you express your view
aggressively, you may be viewed as being bossy or a jerk. This can often make the conflict grow
and suddenly you’ve “made a mountain out of molehill.” Instead, try expressing your concerns
assertively: make a single, specific, concrete request for action, which does not make a comment
about the person.
For example, let’s say that your older brother has borrowed a video game. The passive response
would be to whine about him having it. The aggressive response would be to call him a jerk,
grab it back, or order him to give it to you right now, or else. The assertive response would be to
let him know that you let him borrow it for a specific time period and that you now want it back.
Then request that he put it on your desk in your room by a certain time of the day.
8. Imagine you have been standing in line for something you really want for 10 minutes. There
are 2 people still ahead of you. Suddenly someone comes up from behind and budges into
line between the 2 people ahead of you.



Give a passive response.
Give an aggressive response.
Give an assertive response.
Students must give a response of each type and clearly label them by type.
9. John has snuck out of the house to go to a party. His mom discovered he wasn’t at home at
about 10 p.m. John has just tried to sneak back in to the house at 1 a.m. His mom is
furious.



Give his mom’s passive response.
Give his mom’s aggressive response.
Give his mom’s assertive response.
Students must give a response of each type and clearly label them by type.
Planning 10 – EOP
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How you handle major conflict makes all the difference between whether the conflict is resolved
and you can both move on, or whether the conflict festers and grows into something very ugly
and potentially dangerous.
When people suggest strategies for resolving conflict they tend to include a lot of ineffective
strategies:

Just walk away – this rarely works to resolve a real conflict – something you think is
important to disagree over. However, this may be a very important first step if the
conflict is highly emotional and potentially violent. Then you need to give each other
time to calm down, so later you will be able to discuss the problem rationally.

Doing nothing or ignoring it – this rarely works and generally makes the situation worse
as people begin to feel stressed and uncomfortable in each other’s presence. It can lead
to resentment.

Giving in to the other person – this rarely works when you feel the issue is important.
Eventually you will feel your needs or concerns are being overlooked or invalidated. You
will begin to feel angry and manipulated and the conflict will have grown.

Fighting dirty: lying, manipulating, threatening, or blaming – while it may be tempting
to “get back” at the person, instead of resolving the conflict, it will tend to make it grow
as others are brought in to the conflict.
An effective conflict resolution strategy is to use constructive problem solving. This strategy
requires both people in the conflict to be willing to work on resolving it together. If necessary,
you could ask a third person to act as a mediator. It is important that the mediator’s job is to help
the people really listen to each other. It is not to take sides. Constructive problem solving
generally requires both people to give up a little in order to achieve a resolution. The steps
involved in constructive problem solving are





recognize there is problem,
define the problem,
brainstorm solutions,
explore alternate solutions, and
make a decision and act on it.
10. Watch the humorous video and identify the 5 stages of constructive problem solving that
were used.



recognize there is problem: the “patient” gets the surgeon to acknowledge that
they haven’t been getting along (the surgeon doesn’t say hi to the patient in the
hallway)
define the problem: the immediate problem is the patient doesn’t trust the surgeon
to operate and not leave “stuff” inside the patient
brainstorm solutions: find another surgeon, surgeon could improve her surgical
skills,
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explore alternate solutions: surgeon agreed to improve her surgical skills if the
patient wouldn’t berate her in front of the staff
make a decision and act on it: both parties agreed and the surgeon operated.
The previous examples tended to involve situations where the people involved would want to
resolve the conflict. There are some times, especially in school situations, but also found in the
community and in the work world, where one person really doesn’t want to resolve the conflict.
This is the case with bullies; they get some sort of “enjoyment” out of prolonging the conflict. In
that case, you often need to seek the help of others—usually an adult.
Bullying is the combined use of aggression and power to harass and/or intimidate another
person. Bullying can range from exclusion, gossip, and name calling to stalking, fighting, and
theft. Bullying usually involves a power imbalance and intent to harm. The actions cause
distress and are repeated over time.
Bullies often have no logical reason for bullying other people. They often use things the person
has no control over as the focus of the bullying: race, physical size, sexual orientation, or
disability. Bullies bully to gain power. Often the bullied person feels helpless in the situation.
At that time bystanders can take action to help the victim.
Read about the Use Another Word campaign the students at a Eugene, Oregon high school used
to combat the use of disrespectful language in their school.
11. Write a paragraph on the Use Another Word campaign. Explain what it is, why it got started
and how well it worked. Do you think such a campaign would work in your school or
community organization? Would you be willing to be a part of such a campaign? At what
level would you be willing to be involved?
Students need to write a paragraph which describes the campaign. Then they need to
reflect on whether or not they think it could work locally and at what level they would
be willing to be involved.
Harassment is any behaviour or comment that is hurtful, degrading, humiliating or offensive to
another person. Sexual harassment is a type of harassment that has sexual undercurrents. This
includes spreading sexual rumours; wearing obscene T-shirts; inappropriate touching, jokes,
comments, and postings on the Internet. Sexual harassment, like other forms of bullying, needs
to be reported.
If you are being sexually harassed, you need to tell an adult that you trust. Sexual harassment
often goes unreported because it usually involves a power difference.
What about flirting? Is it sexual harassment? The line is not always easy to see. But the real
difference is that sexual harassment is unwanted and demeaning, while flirting is wanted by both
people involved. It is possible that what starts out as flirting turns into sexual harassment. Once
what is happening is no longer comfortable, it is important to let the other person know it is
unwanted.
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Cyberbullying is simply bullying which is occurring on-line through the use of technology. It is
often more damaging, because of the large audience potential, as regular face-to-face bullying.
Read Cyberbullying-Rights and Responsibilities and Cyberbullying and the Law Fact Sheet.
12. For each scenario in the Cyberbullying Scenarios Handout determine the level of seriousness
from 1-5 and explaining your ranking.
Students need to justify their rankings of the scenarios.
13. Complete the Cyberbullying Case Study by answering the General Questions and the Group
Questions at the bottom. For the group questions, you need to put yourself in the place of
each of the people identified.
Students need to thoughtfully answer each of the questions.
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Health – Diseases
Read Student Handout 20: Exposure to Biological Hazards, which is located in the readings for
this lesson.
1. Name the 4 blood-borne pathogens described in the article
•
•
•
•
HIV
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
2. What is the most common way that workers might come in contact with the blood-borne
pathogens?
They are most likely to come across infected needles or condoms.
3. List 3 body fluids that could spread HIV and Hepatitis B & C.
Any three of
• Semen
• Vaginal secretions
• Amniotic fluid
• Fluid around the heart
• Fluid in the lining of the lungs
• Fluid in the abdomen
• Fluid in joints
• Fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord
• Breast milk (HIV only)
• Saliva (Hepatitis B only)
• Any body fluid with visible blood.
4. List 3 body fluids that do not spread HIV or Hepatitis B & C, unless you see blood in them.
Any three of
• Tears
• Nasal secretions
• Sputum (coughed up from the lungs)
• Vomit
• Urine
• Sweat
• Feces
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5. List 3 ways to protect yourself from West Nile Virus.
Any three of
• Cover as much of your skill as possible by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long
pants, and socks.
• Wear light colours, since dark colours attract mosquitoes.
• Cover exposed skin with an insect repellent, preferably one with DEET
• Apply insect repellent to the outside of your clothing.
• Do not wear perfume or cologne, which may attract mosquitoes.
• Do not pick up dead birds with your bare hands, as the birds may carry the
virus
• Take extra precautions in the late evening or early morning hours, when
mosquitoes are most likely to swarm.
6. Name 2 tick-borne diseases.
Any two of
• Tick paralysis
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Lyme disease
7. List 3 ways to protect yourself from tick-borne diseases.
Any three of
• Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pants into socks and shirt into
pants.
• Spray DEET containing insect repellent on your pants.
• Avoid walking or resting in areas overgrown with vegetation.
• After working or walking, examine your body and clothes closely for ticks.
• Remove ticks immediately when you find them.
8. List 5 activities that are associated with cases of hantavirus.
Any three of
• Sweeping out a barn or other ranch buildings
• Trapping and studying mice
• Using compressed air and dry sweeping to clean up wood waste in a sawmill
• Handling grain contaminated with mouse droppings and urine
• Entering a barn infested with mice
• Planting or harvesting field crops
• Occupying previously vacant dwellings
• Disturbing rodent-infested areas while hiking or camping
• Living in dwellings with a sizable indoor rodent population
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9. List 3 ways to protect yourself from hantavirus.
Any three of
• Ongoing inspections by qualified people for rodents
• Sanitation – reducing the number of places where rodents may feed or find
shelter
• Rodent proofing – ensuring rodents can’t get into building spaces
• Rodent population reduction through the use of poison or traps
There are a lot of myths about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs for short).
You may think you are not at risk, but teenagers account for more than a quarter of all cases of
STDs reported in Canada each year. The truth is the number of people infected with HIV/AIDS
is on the rise and in North America, the fastest growing segment of the population to contract
HIV and AIDS is teenage girls. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS.
10. Use the BC Center of Disease Control website on STDs to identify the symptoms (for male
and for females), the treatment, and the complications (if any) for each of the following
STDs:

Chlamydia
o Male symptoms: some have no symptoms. Others have abnormal fluid from
penis, pain with urination, itching feeling inside the penis, need to urinate more
often.
o Female symptoms: a burning feeling when urinating, change in periods or more
painful periods, bleeding or blood spotting from the vagina, pain during sex, pain
in the lower stomach area, need to urinate more often, slight fever.
o Both male and female symptoms: discharge from the rectum, rectal pain,
mucous with stools, painful bowel movements, anal lesions, redness in the anal
area.
o Treatment: Chlamydia infections are cured with specific antibiotics. There are
two current suggested options: Azithromycin (1g) taken once or Doxycycline
taken twice daily for a week. Other antibiotics may be prescribed if you are
pregnant or allergic to these ones. Sexual partners also need treatment, otherwise
the infection can pass back and forth between you. Do not have sexual
intercourse, even protected, until 1 week after both partners have been treated
properly.
o Potential complications: pelvic inflammatory disease, Reiter’s syndrome,
ectopic pregnancy, infertility
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Herpes
o Both male and female symptoms: sores, small blisters filled with clear, whitish
fluid, skin ulcers, genital and/or rectal irritation, raw itchy skin, flu-like illness,
swollen lymph nodes, painful urination, difficulty starting urination
o Female symptoms: change in vaginal discharge
o Treatment: Antiviral medications are prescribed for all phases of herpes, from
initial infection through to recurring episodes. They can shorten the duration of
the infection and may also diminish complications or symptoms. Antiviral
medications like Acyclovir (Zovirax, Avirax), Valacyclovir (Valtrex),
Famcyclovir (Famvir), are best if used within the first few days of the infection.
They are usually prescribed for a 3 - 10 day period. All first episodes of genital
herpes should be treated as soon as possible with antiviral medications for 7 days.
o Potential complications: no complications listed; it is incurable; if not treated it
will be transmitted to other sexual partners
Genital warts
o Both male and female symptoms: genital warts appear as growths or bumps.
The warts vary in size, shape and number. They tend to be flesh coloured or
whitish. They can have a cauliflower-like appearance as they grow larger. The
warts can be itchy and bleed.
o Male symptoms: warts occur most often on the head and shaft of the penis or in
the anal area, although they can affect the scrotum
o Female symptoms: warts usually appear on the external genitals and anal area,
although they may also be found internally on the vaginal walls and cervix
o Treatment: Untreated warts may resolve on their own, remain unchanged, or
increase in size and number. Once diagnosed by a health care provider, treatments
for visible warts are either practitioner (doctor or nurse) administered or patient
applied to remove the warts.
o Potential complications: none listed
Gonorrhea
o Both male and female Symptoms: Gonorrhea can show symptoms, but that
often depends on where the infection is located. Infections in the throat in
particular, and also in the cervix and rectum, often cause no symptoms at all. So
someone could have an infection and have no way of telling they need medicine
to treat it or know they are passing the infection on to sexual partner(s).
Gonorrhea infections in the urethra are most likely to cause symptoms. Symptoms
are similar to those for Chlamydia (it is common to have these infections at the
same time) and usually show up between 2 and 10 days after sexual contact.
o Treatment: There are various treatments for gonorrhea. One is antibiotics, which
are taken by mouth. These pills are taken all at one time, and it is recommended
that you are also treated for the possibility of having a chlamydia infection at the
same time. People being treated for gonorrhea should avoid sex for a week after
commencing treatment. All sexual partners from the past 2 months should be
informed they are a contact to gonorrhea, and go for testing and treatment.
o Potential complications: for women – pelvic inflammatory disease; for men –
epididymitis; for both men and women – Reiter’s syndrome and gonococcal
infection.
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Pubic Lice
o Both male and female symptoms: People with pubic lice often have intense
itching or they notice the lice or nits (lice eggs) on their pubic hair. The itching
usually begins within one week of being infested, but if you have had them before
and are already sensitized to them, the itching begins almost immediately. You
can also see the lice (they are pale gray but darken in color when swollen with
blood) and nits (they are white and are deposited in small clumps near the hair
roots) with a magnify glass. The pubic lice are typically 1mm in length. It is
easier to see the nits on the hair than it is to see the actual lice. Pubic lice are like
a lot of other STDs - you may be infected and have no signs or symptoms.
o Treatment: It is easy to get treatment for pubic lice. Some common preparations
available are Kwell and Nix. These can be purchased at a pharmacy without a
doctor's prescription. The pharmacist can also be very helpful in advising you
what treatment would be best. It is good to use a "nit" comb to remove the
remaining eggs (you can use your fingernails if you don't have one). A good trick
is to comb the infected hair and wipe it on a tissue and observe the crabs, if they
are not moving this is good as it means the bugs are not resistant to the
medication. If they are still moving, it may be a good idea to try another brand of
medication, with a different active ingredient.
o Potential complications: none listed; but you should inform your sexual
partner(s) as they are likely to have them and could spread them to others
Syphilis
o Both male and female symptoms: Primary stage About 9-90 days after the
bacteria enters the blood, some people will develop a sore at the place where the
bacteria entered the body (e.g. on the penis or vagina, etc). The sore is usually the
size of a 10 cent coin, is often painless and the edges may feel firm to the touch.
This lesion oozes clear fluid that has many spirochetes in it and is very infectious.
The sore will last about a month and then will go away by itself. Secondary stage
About 6 weeks after the syphilis bacteria enters the body (the primary lesion may
still be present), a person may enter the secondary stage. The most common
symptom is a rash all over the body, and sometimes on the palms of the hands and
the soles of the feet. The rash is not usually itchy. It is commonly dry and
noninfectious. Some people with secondary syphilis develop small lesions or
ulcers around or in the mouth, on the penis, around the anus, inside the vagina or
on its lips. These are painless and ooze clear fluid that is infectious. People with
secondary syphilis often show lymph node enlargement in the neck, underarm and
groin area. Some may develop symptoms such as fever, chills, weight loss, vision
loss, and others. The secondary stage disappears by itself in about a month.
Latent syphilis In its latent or 'hidden' stage there are no signs or symptoms, and
the syphilis is only discovered through a positive blood test. This stage may occur
between the primary and secondary stages, but most commonly it occurs after the
secondary stage. Some who don't recognize any primary or secondary symptoms
may go directly into the latent stage. It is divided into early latent - which is up to
1 year after the person is infected - and late latent which is beyond 1 year after
infection. Often it is difficult to know when a person was infected and they are put
in the category of 'latent syphilis of unknown duration'.
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o Treatment: The best treatment is injectible long-acting penicillin, if the person is
not allergic. If the person has primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, or latent
syphilis of under a year in duration, one set of penicillin injections in each buttock
is enough. If the syphilis is of over a year in duration, or is of unknown duration,
the person receives the injectable penicillin weekly x 3 (6 injections altogether).
Alternate treatment if a person is allergic to penicillin, is doxycycline.
o Potential complications: Tertiary or Late syphilis About 3-30 years after the
initial infection some people who have not had treatment for syphilis, and often
who have not had antibiotics for other infections, will go on to develop late stage
disease. This is the bad stuff often associated with syphilis: a form of insanity and
a type of paralysis in neurosyphilis. In cardiovascular syphilis, the aorta, or large
blood vessel coming out of the heart, can be infected and it can dilate. People may
also get gummas, which are lesions in any part of the body except for the heart.
These lesions can be ulcers, sores, masses or lumps.
Trichromoniasis
o Male symptoms: slight discharge from the urethra (tip of penis), discomfort in
the urethra, burning after urination or ejaculation
o Female symptoms: frothy yellow or green vaginal discharge, foul vaginal odour,
discomfort with urination and/or vaginal intercourse, irritation to inner and/or
outer vagina, little red dots on the cervix that look a bit like a strawberry
o Treatement: Treatment is a drug called Flagyl (Metronidazole). Two grams
(eight pills) is given all at once to the infected person and all recent sex partner(s).
Sex partners of an infected person need to receive treatment even if their test
results are negative. You cannot drink alcohol for 24 hours before or after taking
this medication.
o Potential complications: Inflammation of the genital tissue is a common
complication of untreated Trichomoniasis. If tissue in the vagina or inside the
penis is broken down, other sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV, are
much easier to get. If you have Trichomoniasis that is untreated, you are at greater
risk for contracting HIV. Also, if not treated, an infected person will infect others
with whom they have sex. In pregnant women, recent data suggest trichomoniasis
may cause premature delivery of the baby and increased risk of infection at birth.
View the Aids In Canada: What you need to know Slideshow and then read to the Frequently
Asked Questions section of the Aids. Org website, and answer the following questions.
11. What causes AIDS?
Over time an HIV invected person’s immune system will become depressed to the
point that they have extreme difficulty fighting off an infection that a healthy
person’s body would be able to fight off. When this happens the HIV infected
person is said to have a contracted an “opportunistic infection” and they are given
the diagnosis of AIDS.
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12. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that attacks the person’s immune system.
When the immune system can no longer fight disease, the person has AIDS.
13. How long is the “window” between infection and testing positive with HIV? Why is it
important to understand this “window” exists?
14. What is meant by the asymptomatic stage of HIV infection?
This is the time between when a person would first test positive for the HIV virus
and when they begin to develop chronic symptoms of infection. It can last between 3
to 10 years.
15. How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
Currently, the average time between infection with HIV and an AIDS diagnosis is 811 years.
16. List five common symptoms during the symptomatic stage of HIV.
While some people will have no symptoms, most will develop some of the following:
 Flu like symptoms
 Drenching night sweats
 Dry cough and shortness of breath
 Depression
 Fevers of unknown origin
 Swollen lymph glands (neck, armpit and/or groin)
 Recurrent yeast infection, especially in women
 Severe weight loss
 Chronic diarrhea
 Chronic fatigue
17. What are the symptoms of AIDS?
There are no common symptoms of AIDS, since having AIDS just means that your
body has any 1 of a number of possible infections that it can’t fight off. A person
with AIDS has the symptoms of the infection that they have contracted due to their
depressed immune system.
18. List 3 ways to protect yourself against HIV/AIDS.



You can abstain from sexual activity involving the exchange of fluids.
Latex condoms are between 98 and 100% effective in preventing HIV
transmission if they are used consistently and correctly.
You can abstain from an IV drug use.
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19. Where can people get tested for HIV infection?
People can get tested for HIV by their local physician or through the public health
department. There is even a home test available.
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Health – Tobacco, Drugs and Alcohol
There are several drugs that adults use in our society, that are not viewed as “drugs”. Caffeine
and tobacco are just two of them. Tobacco advertising in Canada and BC has changed
significantly over the last 20 years. I can remember in the early 70s, as a child of 10, going to the
store to purchase cigarettes for my parents. We simply never thought anything of it.
Before January 1, 1989 there were no legal restrictions on cigarette advertising, although the
companies had to refrain from direct advertising on television or radio. Any warnings on
advertising were strictly voluntary and generally in very small print. Between 1989 and 1995
the Tobacco Products Control Act banned all direct advertisements. Health warnings were not
required on advertisements, but were required on cigarette products. Tobacco companies could
sponsor events and thereby indirectly advertise their brands. In September 1995 the Supreme
Court of Canada struck down the Tobacco Products Control Act as unconstitutional and for
almost two years there were no laws regarding tobacco advertisement. While the industry
refrained from using people in direct advertising, they continued to use other images to suggest a
wonderful lifestyle was yours for the taking is you just smoked their cigarettes. Any health
warnings were placed voluntarily. In April 1997, the new federal Tobacco Act once again
restricted tobacco advertising. Health warnings were still not required on advertisements, but
warnings on tobacco products needed to double in size and be in colourful graphic detail. See the
comparison between the old warnings and the new ones here. Sponsorship ads continued to use
humans and lifestyle imagery. On October 1, 2000 the government imposed restrictions on
sponsorship ads, but did allow ads in newspapers, direct mailings and in bars – where the target
audience is supposed to be adults.
Take a look at the facts on Canadian Retailers and Cigarette Promotion. So is there a connection
between retail stores promoting cigarettes and youth smoking? The data certainly supports that
finding and it helps to explain why on March 31, 2008 it became illegal in BC to display tobacco
company advertisements or cigarettes where it would be visible to minors. Check out the new
regulations. Now retailers are required to hide cigarettes from view and are prevented from
selling to tobacco to anyone they know or suspect as being under 19 – a significant shift in public
policy from a time when I purchased cigarettes for my parents.
So, what effect do the new regulations have on the tobacco companies? Their profits are
threatened. The tobacco companies know it is important to their profits to not only replace
quitters with new smokers, but also replace the estimated four million adults who die each year
of tobacco-caused diseases worldwide. But where is the evidence that they are targeting youth?
Check out Recruiting the Replacement Smoker for the facts. To see how far they will bend the
rules, check out How Do You Sell Death?
1. Write a paragraph or two on what you have learned about tobacco advertising in BC and
Canada. Do you think the government is doing enough? If no, what else could they do?
Have they gone too far? If yes, what would you change?
Students need to write at least 1 paragraph on the advertising of tobacco in Canada,
and reflect on their position regarding this topic.
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2. In this lesson you are going to learn about illicit drugs, so you are informed and can make
responsible decisions to avoid them in your future. Go to the following website
http://www.narconon.ca/Narconon_DrugInfo.htm and/or use the Effects of Drugs slideshow
and research the drugs listed below. For each drug you need to find answers to the following
questions.




What does the drug look like?
How is the drug taken?
What are 10 street names for the drug? The page above will give you some street names
for the drug, but check out www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/default.asp for a
comprehensive list. (You might only find 9 street names for magic mushrooms.)
How does the drug affect the person who takes it? You want to find out both the
“beneficial effects” (why would someone take the drug) and the “harmful effects” (why
no one should take this drug).
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Cocaine and Crack
Ecstasy
GHB
Heroine
Inhalants
LSD
Magic Mushrooms
Marijuana
Methamphetamine
Speed
Steroids
If you use other sources than that provided above, be sure to list them below your work.
See the print out of the pages on each drug, which follows this page.
3. Read the link on the Narconon page about alcohol. Write a paragraph which describes what
alcohol is, where it comes from and how it affects people.
See the printout of the pages on alcohol, which follows this page.
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4. Read Gender and Alcohol. Create a table to compare and contrast the differences between
girls and boys when it comes to alcohol use and advertising that targets that use.
Girls
Boys
Amount drunk by girls is quickly
Drink more than girls
catching up to boys, especially in the
lower grades. 7/10 girls in grades 7-12
have tried alcohol in the last year; 1 in 3
in Canada participated in binge drinking
Offers to drink come from a friend, acquaintance or older relative of the same sex
Teens with 5 closest friends who drink are 9 times more likely to drink than those
with non-drinking friends.
Use alcohol to improve mood, increase
Use alcohol to experience getting high or
confidence, reduce tension, cope with
to enhance their social status.
problems, lose inhibitions, feel sexy, or
lose weight.
Other factors determining alcohol use: genetics, personality, psychiatric disorders,
suicidal behaviour, expectancies about alcohol, their living environment and
traumatic experiences.
12-14 year old believe the positive benefits of drinking are more likely to happen
than the negative effects of drinking.
Alcohol is a factor in the leading causes of death among young people: accidental
injury, suicide, and murder.
Other negative consequences include addition, poor performance in school,
hampered memory and learning ability, risky behaviour, sexual vulnerability and
victimization.
More likely to have problems with
More likely to have experienced trouble
friends and doings something they
with parents, problems at school,
regretted.
problems in romantic relationships and
physical fights as a result of drinking.
Reported being caught in regrettable sexual situations due to alcohol use.
Twice as likely to drink and drive.
Five times as likely as girls to carry a
weapon when drinking.
Equally likely to mix drugs and alcohol.
Early bloomers are at higher risk to use
alcohol sooner and in greater amounts
than late blooming peers.
More likely to experience depression,
eating disorders and sexual abuse.
Alcohol passes more quickly into the
bloodstream, so girls get drunk faster,
hooked more easily, and suffer
consequences more severely.
Most alcohol ads are targeted to young
males.
Planning 10 – EOP
Females portrayed in ads within limiting
stereotypes: sexpot, maneater,
angel/temptress, rebel, prize, and party
girl. Protrayed as being a babe, nonthreatening, sexually available, and
subservient. They can be rebellious if
they are cute and flirty; they can be
naughty, but not bad.
Female relationships portrayed
negatively.
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Males are depicted as powerful,
aggressive and in control: the big shot,
the action hero, the strong silent type,
and the jock. Jokers are permitted, but
not buffoons.
Male relationships are portrayed as
“buddy culture” – humour, friendship,
and good times.
Females portrayed as the prize to be won
or the “ball and chain” to escape from
Happy couples exist in the fantasy world of yachts, beaches and exotic locations.
5. Given what you have learned about alcohol, what you’ve seen in the media, and your own
personal experiences, identify 5 extremely dangerous activities people who are drinking
should not do.
Students answers must include 5 activities. Some of these could be
• Swimming
• Driving
• Boating
• Operating machinery
• Taking drugs (including prescription drugs)
• Flying a plane
• Making important decisions
6. Read about the P.A.R.T.Y program designed to prevent alcohol and risk related trauma in
youth. Check out the whole site, so you have an idea of what the program is, where it began,
where it is currently being offered in BC, and how effective it could be for youth in your
community. Write a paragraph explaining what PARTY is and then write another paragraph
indicating whether or not you believe this is something worthwhile for you and your peers.
If so, at what level would you be willing to get involved to make P.A.R.T.Y. available in
School District 83.
Students need to write 2 paragraphs. The first describes the P.A.R.T.Y program
and the second is their personal evaluation of whether it should be offered in our
district.
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People rarely use drugs one time and suddenly they are an addict. Usually there is a progression
from the so-called Gateway drugs of marijuana and alcohol to other harder, more damaging,
street and designer drugs. Read The Path to Developing a Drug Problem handout.
7. At what stage(s) of addiction would you most likely notice that someone:












Has never tried cocaine. Stage(s) # 1-3 (maybe 4)
Stops associating with friends who don’t use. Stage # 3/4
Is known to peers as a drug user. Stage # 5
Is suspended from school for drug use. Stage # 3/4
Sneaks alcohol on a school fieldtrip. Stage # 3/4 - 5
Frequency of use increases. Stage # 3/4 – but obviously it increases at each stage
Has dropped out of school. Stage # 5 - 6
Uses alcohol mostly on the weekends. Stage # 2
Has blackouts. Stage # 6
Finds it easy to rationalize the use of drugs or alcohol. Stage # 2
Has increased absenteeism and tardiness. Stage # begins at 3/4 and worsens
Is unable to control the urge to use. Stage #6
8. Describe 2 strategies that you use to avoid substance misuse.
Students need to describe 2 personal strategies that they believe work for them.
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What Is Alcohol?
Alcohol is often not thought of as a drug - largely because its use is common for both religious and social
purposes in most parts of the world. It is a drug, however, and compulsive drinking in excess has become
one of modern society's most serious problems. The beverage alcohol (scientifically known as ethyl
alcohol, or ethanol) is produced by fermenting or distilling various fruits, vegetables, or grains. Ethyl
alcohol itself is a clear, colorless liquid. Alcoholic beverages get their distinctive colors from the diluents,
additives, and by-products of fermentation.
How Alcohol Works
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream from the
small intestine, and less rapidly from the stomach and
colon. In proportion to its concentration in the bloodstream,
alcohol decreases activity in parts of the brain and spinal
cord. The drinker's blood alcohol concentration depends on:
- the amount consumed in a given time
- the drinker's size, sex, body build, and metabolism
- the type and amount of food in the stomach
Once the alcohol has passed into the blood, however, no food or beverage can retard or interfere with its
effects. Fruit sugar, however, in some cases can shorten the duration of alcohol's effect by speeding up
its elimination from the blood.
In the average adult, the rate of metabolism is about 8.5 g of alcohol per hour (i.e. about two-thirds of a
regular beer or about 30 mL of spirits an hour). This rate can vary dramatically among individuals,
however, depending on such diverse factors as usual amount of drinking, physique, sex, liver size, and
genetic factors.
Alcohol Statistics and Trends
- Most drinkers (39.5 per cent) consumed alcohol on a weekly basis.
- Males (46 per cent) were more likely than females (33 per cent) to drink weekly.
- Nearly one in three teenagers were weekly drinkers, and almost half consumed alcohol less than
weekly. Fewer than one in 100 teenagers consumed alcohol daily.
- The average initiation age for drinking alcohol was 17.1 years
Source: NIAA
Alcohol's Effects
Alcohol affects people differently, depending on their size, sex, body build, and metabolism. General
effects are a feeling of warmth, flushed skin, impaired judgment, decreased inhibitions, muscular in
coordination, slurred speech, and memory and comprehension loss. In states of extreme intoxication,
vomiting is likely to occur, possibly accompanied by incontinence, poor respiration, a fall in blood
pressure, and in cases of severe alcohol poisoning, coma and death.
Drinking heavily over a short period of time usually results in a "hangover" - headache, nausea,
shakiness, and sometimes vomiting, beginning from 8 to 12 hours later. A hangover is due partly to
poisoning by alcohol and other components of the drink, and partly to the body's reaction to withdrawal
from alcohol.
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Combining alcohol with other drugs can make the effects of these
other drugs much stronger and more dangerous. Many accidental
deaths have occurred after people have used alcohol combined
with other drugs. Cannabis, tranquillizers, barbiturates and other
sleeping pills, or antihistamines (in cold, cough, and allergy
remedies) should not be taken with alcohol. Even a small amount
of alcohol with any of these drugs can seriously impair a person's
ability to drive a car.
People who drink on a regular basis become tolerant to many of
the unpleasant effects of alcohol, and thus are able to drink more
before suffering these effects. Yet even with increased
consumption, many such drinkers don't appear intoxicated.
Because they continue to work and socialize reasonably well, their
deteriorating physical condition may go unrecognized by others
until severe damage develops - or until they are hospitalized for
other reasons and suddenly experience alcohol withdrawal
symptoms.
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Alcohol-Dependence
Effects
This shows a 20-year old female
nondrinkers response to the spatial
working memory task. Brain
activation is shown in bright colors.
Psychological dependence on alcohol may occur with regular use
of even relatively moderate daily amounts. It may also occur in
people who consume alcohol only under certain conditions, such as
before and during social occasions. This form of dependence refers
to a craving for alcohol's psychological effects, although not
necessarily in amounts that produce serious intoxication. For
psychologically dependent drinkers, the lack of alcohol tends to
make them anxious and, in some cases, panicky.
Physical dependence occurs in consistently heavy drinkers. Since
their bodies have adapted to the presence of alcohol, they suffer
withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop drinking. Withdrawal
symptoms range from jumpiness, sleeplessness, sweating, and
poor appetite, to tremors (the "shakes"), convulsions and
sometimes death.
This shows an alcohol-dependent 20-year
old female's response to the spatial
working memory task. Brain
activation is shown in bright colors.
Alcohol abuse can take a negative toll on people's lives, fostering violence or a deterioration of personal
relationships. Alcoholic behavior can interfere with school or career goals and lead to unemployment.
Long term alcohol abuse poses a variety of health risks, such as liver damage and an increased risk for
heart disease. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may result from a pregnant woman's drinking alcohol; this
condition causes facial abnormalities in the child, as well as growth retardation and brain damage, which
often is manifested by intellectual difficulties or behavioral problems.
Alcohol Addiction
When does casual consumption of alcohol turn to dependency drinking and finally to biochemicallycontrolled drinking?
The answer is, even most alcohol addicts themselves don't know when they became addicted to alcohol.
Alcohol is the most sinister of drugs, one that draws a thin, usually imperceptible line between social use
and addictive use. Alcoholic addicts rely on alcohol as a key component of their personality - without a
drink, they simply cannot "be themselves."
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What Is Cocaine?
Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that interferes with the reabsorption process of
dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasure and movement. The buildup of dopamine
causes continuous stimulation of "receiving" neurons, which is associated with the euphoria commonly
reported by cocaine abusers.
Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood
vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart
rate, and blood pressure. The duration of cocaine's
immediate euphoric effects, which include hyperstimulation,
reduced fatigue, and mental acuity depends on the route of
administration.
The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. On the
other hand, the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration
of action.
The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes.
Increased use can reduce the period of time a user feels high and increases the risk of addiction.
Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. A tolerance to the "high"
may develop; many addicts report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from
their first exposure. Some users will increase their doses to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects.
While tolerance to the high can occur, users can also become more sensitive to cocaine's anesthetic and
convulsant effects without increasing the dose taken. This increased sensitivity may explain some deaths
occurring after apparently low doses of cocaine.
Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken
repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, may lead to a state of
increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This can result in
a period of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which the user loses
touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.
Street Names :
Coke, snow, flake, blow, and many others.
Statistics and Trends :
Adults 18 to 25 years old have the highest rate of current cocaine use, compared to other age groups.
Source: NIDA Research Report: Cocaine Abuse and Addiction.
The Short-term Effects of Cocaine Use
Cocaine's effects appear almost immediately after a single dose, and disappear within a few minutes or
hours. Taken in small amounts (up to 100 mg), cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric, energetic,
talkative, and mentally alert, especially to the sensations of sight, sound, and touch. It can also
temporarily decrease the need for food and sleep. Some users find that the drug helps them to perform
simple physical and intellectual tasks more quickly, while others can experience the opposite effect.
The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects depends upon the route of administration. The
faster the absorption, the more intense the high. Also, the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration
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of action. The high from snorting is relatively slow in onset, and may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from
smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes.
The short-term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels; dilated pupils; and
increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts (several hundred milligrams or
more) intensify the user's high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. These users
may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction
closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness,
irritability, and anxiety. In rare instances, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or
unexpectedly thereafter. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed
by respiratory arrest.
The Long-term Effects of Cocaine Use
Once having tried cocaine, an individual may have difficulty predicting or controlling the extent to which
he or she will continue to use the drug. Cocaine's stimulant and addictive effects are thought to be
primarily a result of its ability to inhibit the reabsorption of dopamine by nerve cells. Dopamine is released
as part of the brain's reward system, and is either directly or indirectly involved in the addictive properties
of every major drug of abuse.
An appreciable tolerance to cocaine's high may develop, with many addicts reporting that they seek but
fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first experience. Some users will frequently
increase their doses to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects. While tolerance to the high can occur,
users can also become more sensitive (sensitization) to cocaine's anesthetic and convulsant effects,
without increasing the dose taken. This increased sensitivity may explain some deaths occurring after
apparently low doses of cocaine.
Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, leads
to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This may result in a full-blown paranoid
psychosis, in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.
Medical Complications of Cocaine Abuse
There are enormous medical complications associated with
cocaine use. Some of the most frequent complications are
cardiovascular effects, including disturbances in heart rhythm and
heart attacks; such respiratory effects as chest pain and respiratory
failure; neurological effects, including strokes, seizure, and

headaches; and gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal

pain and nausea.
Cocaine use has been linked to many types of heart disease.
Cocaine has been found to trigger chaotic heart rhythms, called
ventricular fibrillation; accelerate heartbeat and breathing; and

increase blood pressure and body temperature. Physical symptoms 
may include chest pain, nausea, blurred vision, fever, muscle
spasms, convulsions and coma.
Medical Consequences of
Cocaine Abuse
Cardiovascular Effects
- Disturbances in heart rhythm
- Heart attacks
Respiratory Effects
- Chest pain
- Respiratory failure
Neurological Effects
 - Strokes
Different routes of cocaine administration can produce different
adverse effects. Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead  - Seizures and headache
to loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing,
Gastrointestinal Complications
hoarseness, and an overall irritation of the nasal septum, which can
lead to a chronically inflamed, runny nose. Ingested cocaine can
cause severe bowel gangrene, due to reduced blood flow.
 - Abdominal pain
 - Nausea
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And, persons who inject cocaine have puncture marks and "tracks," most commonly in their forearms.
Intravenous cocaine users may also experience an allergic reaction, either to the drug, or to some
additive in street cocaine, which can result, in severe cases, in death. Because cocaine has a tendency to
decrease food intake, many chronic cocaine users lose their appetites and can experience significant
weight loss and malnourishment.
Research has revealed a potentially dangerous interaction between cocaine and alcohol. Taken in
combination, the two drugs are converted by the body to cocaethylene. Cocaethylene has a longer
duration of action in the brain and is more toxic than either drug alone. While more research needs to be
done, it is noteworthy that the mixture of cocaine and alcohol is the most common two-drug combination
that results in drug-related death.
How Does Cocaine Produce Its Effects?
A great amount of research has been devoted to understanding the way cocaine produces its pleasurable
effects, and the reasons it is so addictive. One mechanism is through its effects on structures deep in the
brain. Scientists have discovered regions within the brain that, when stimulated, produce feelings of
pleasure. One neural system that appears to be most affected by cocaine originates in a region, located
deep within the brain, called the ventral tegmental area (VTA).
Nerve cells originating in the VTA extend to the region of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens, one
of the brain's key pleasure centers. In studies using animals, for example, all types of pleasurable stimuli,
such as food, water, sex, and many drugs of abuse, cause increased activity in the nucleus accumbens.
Cocaine in the brain - In the normal communication process, dopamine is released by a neuron into the
synapse, where it can bind with dopamine receptors on neighboring neurons. Normally dopamine is then
recycled back into the transmitting neuron by a specialized protein called the dopamine transporter. If
cocaine is present, it attaches to the dopamine transporter and blocks the normal recycling process,
resulting in a build-up of dopamine in the synapse which contributes to the pleasurable effects of cocaine.
Researchers have discovered that, when a pleasurable event is occurring, it is accompanied by a large
increase in the amounts of dopamine released in the nucleus accumbens by neurons originating in the
VTA. In the normal communication process, dopamine is released by a neuron into the synapse (the
small gap between two neurons), where it binds with specialized proteins (called dopamine receptors) on
the neighboring neuron, thereby sending a signal to that neuron. Drugs of abuse are able to interfere with
this normal communication process. For example, scientists have discovered that cocaine blocks the
removal of dopamine from the synapse, resulting in an accumulation of dopamine. This buildup of
dopamine causes continuous stimulation of receiving neurons, probably resulting in the euphoria
commonly reported by cocaine abusers.
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As cocaine abuse continues, tolerance often develops. This
means that higher doses and more frequent use of cocaine
are required for the brain to register the same level of
pleasure experienced during initial use. Recent studies have
shown that, during periods of abstinence from cocaine use,
the memory of the euphoria associated with cocaine use, or
mere exposure to cues associated with drug use, can trigger
tremendous craving and relapse to drug use, even after long
periods of abstinence.
Source: NIDA Research Report: Cocaine Abuse and Addiction.
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What Is Crack?
The chemical cocaine hydrochloride is commonly known as cocaine. Some users chemically process
cocaine in order to remove the hydrochloride. This process is called "freebasing" and makes the drug
more potent. "Crack" is a solid form of freebased cocaine. It is called "crack" because it snaps and cracks
when heated and smoked.
What's New About Crack?
Since crack is an already prepared form of freebased
cocaine, the user does not have to buy the equipment or be
exposed to the explosive chemicals associated with
freebasing. Crack is most often packaged in vials or plastic
bags and sold in small quantities, usually 300-500mg or
enough for two to three inhalations.
Traditionally, cocaine was a rich man's drug, due to the large
expense of a cocaine habit.
Now, crack is being sold at prices low enough that even adolescents can afford to buy it. But, this is
misleading, since once a person is addicted to cocaine, his "habit" often increases, and so does his
expense.
Crack's Adverse Effects
As with any street drug, what is sold may not be what it is claimed to be. Predicting side effects is difficult
when the actual contents are not known. Life-threatening reactions have been reported whether it's the
first, the 100th, or any other time crack is used. You do not have to overdose on crack to die from it.
In addition, if the initial experience leads to continued use, other adverse effects include the rapid
development of tolerance, addiction, and all the social problems that can come from an expensive drug
habit.
Regardless of dosage, these reactions may appear :
- Convulsions
- Increased heart rate
- Abnormal heartbeat
- Heart attack
- Sudden, sharp blood pressure increase
- Stroke
- Extreme depression
- Suicidal behavior
How Crack Is Used
The same way that freebase is used, namely, by placing the substance in a glass pipe (or hash pipe) with
a fine mesh screen under it, then heating it and inhaling the vapors.
The vapors of the freebase are absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and transported to the
brain within 10-15 seconds. One inhalation will produce a degree of intoxication usually lasting 10-15
minutes.
Reference: NIDA InfoFacts: Crack and Cocaine
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Ecstasy
What Is Ecstasy?
MDMA or ecstasy is a schedule I synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic
properties. MDMA possesses chemical variations of the stimulant amphetamine or methamphetamine
and a hallucinogen, most often mescaline.
MDMA, called "Adam," "ecstasy," or "XTC" on the street, is
a synthetic, psychoactive (mind-altering) drug with
amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties. Its
chemical structure is similar to two other synthetic drugs,
MDA and methamphetamine, which are known to cause
brain damage.
Street Names
XTC, Adam, Clarity, Lover's Speed, Hug, Beans, Love Drug
Statistics and Trends
According to the 2003 Monitoring the Future survey, 4.5% of 12th graders, 3.0% of 10th graders, and
2.1% of 8th graders had used Ecstasy in the past year.
Source: NIDA Infofacts: MDMA (Ecstasy)
How Is Ecstasy Consumed?
Ecstasy is most often available in tablet form and is usually ingested orally. It is also available as a
powder and is sometimes snorted and occasionally smoked, but rarely injected. Its effects last
approximately four to six hours. Users of the drug say that it produces profoundly positive feelings,
empathy for others, elimination of anxiety, and extreme relaxation. Ecstasy is also said to suppress the
need to eat, drink, or sleep, enabling users to endure two- to three-day parties. Consequently, ecstasy
use sometimes results in severe dehydration or exhaustion.
Health Hazards
Beliefs about MDMA are reminiscent of the claims made about LSD in the 1950s and 1960s, which
proved to be untrue. According to its proponents, MDMA can make people trust each other and can break
down barriers between therapists and patients, lovers, and family members.
Many of the risks users face with MDMA use are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and
cocaine. They are:
Psychological difficulties, including confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, severe anxiety,
and paranoia - during and sometimes weeks after taking MDMA (even psychotic episodes have been
reported). Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred
vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and chills or sweating. Increases in heart rate and blood pressure,
a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease.
Recent research findings also link MDMA use to long-term damage to those parts of the brain critical to
thought and memory. It is thought that the drug causes damage to the neurons that use the chemical
serotonin to communicate with other neurons. In monkeys, exposure to MDMA for 4 days caused brain
damage that was evident 6 to 7 years later. This study provides further evidence that people who take
MDMA may be risking permanent brain damage.
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Also, there is evidence that people who develop a rash that looks like acne after using MDMA may be
risking severe side effects, including liver damage, if they continue to use the drug.
MDA, the parent drug of MDMA, is an amphetamine-like drug that has also been abused and is similar in
chemical structure to MDMA. Research shows that MDA destroys serotonin-producing neurons in the
brain, which play a direct role in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to
pain. It is probably this action on the serotonin system that gives MDA its purported properties of heightened sexual experience, tranquillity, and conviviality.
MDMA also is related in its structure and effects to methamphetamine, which has been shown to cause
degeneration of neurons containing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Damage to these neurons is the
underlying cause of the motor disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease. Symptoms of this disease begin
with lack of coordination and tremors and can eventually result in a form of paralysis.
Short-term Effects of Ecstasy Abuse
While it is not as addictive as heroin or cocaine, ecstasy can cause other adverse effects including
nausea, hallucinations, chills, sweating, increases in body temperature, tremors, involuntary teeth
clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. Ecstasy users also report after-effects of anxiety,
paranoia, and depression.
An ecstasy overdose is characterized by high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks, and, in more
severe cases, loss of consciousness, seizures, and a drastic rise in body temperature. ecstasy overdoses
can be fatal, as they may result in heart failure or extreme heat stroke.
The effects start after about 20 minutes and can last for hours.
There is a 'rush' feeling followed by a feeling of calm and a
sense of well being to those around, often with a heightened
perception of colour and sound.
Some people actually feel sick and experience a stiffening up
of arms, legs and particularly the jaw along with sensations of
thirst, sleeplessness, depression and paranoia. Gives a feeling
of energy. Some mild hallucinogenic effects.
Extent of Use
MDMA is used most often by young adults and adolescents at clubs, raves (large, all-night dance
parties), and rock concerts.
Its abuse is increasingly reported in the 20 metropolitan areas included in the CEWG (Community
Epidemiology Work Group).
In Kings County, Washington, a recently completed survey of young men who have sex with men showed
that MDMA was among the frequently used drugs (20 percent of the sample).
In Boston, a 1996-97 survey of public schools in Boston found that about 14 percent of male and 7
percent of female 12th graders had used MDMA during their lifetime. Increased use of MDMA among
youth was also reported in Seattle.
Information about MDMA from other CEWG areas include the following:
- In Atlanta, MDMA is reported as a popular stimulant.
- In Chicago, it's use is common in the rave and club scenes, especially in the North Side.
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- In Miami, large-scale sales of drugs such as MDMA are occurring at raves.
- In New Jersey, it is available across the state, particularly in college towns.
Commonly referred to as Ecstasy or XTC, MDMA was first synthesized in 1912 by a German company
possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant. Chemically, it is an analogue of MDA, a drug that was
popular in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, MDMA was used to facilitate psychotherapy by a small group of
therapists in the United States. Illicit use of the drug did not become popular until the late 1980s and early
1990s. MDMA is frequently used in combination with other drugs. However, it is rarely consumed with
alcohol, as alcohol is believed to diminish its effects. It is most often distributed at late-night parties called
"raves," nightclubs, and rock concerts. As the rave and club scene expands to metropolitan and suburban
areas across the country, MDMA use and distribution are increasing as well.
Source: NIDA Infofacts: MDMA (Ecstasy).
Ecstasy Facts
- Ecstasy's psychological effects can include confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and
paranoia during, and sometimes weeks after, taking the drug.
- Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that 4 days of exposure to the drug caused
damage that persisted 6 to 7 years later.
- Ecstasy is most commonly used at all night parties called "raves".
- Brain imaging research in humans indicates that MDMA causes injury to the brain, affecting neurons
that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons.
- Many of the risks users face with MDMA use are similar to those found with the use of cocaine and
amphetamines.
- Psychological difficulties due to ecstasy include confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving,
severe anxiety, and paranoia - during and sometimes weeks after taking MDMA.
- Physical symptoms due to ecstasy include muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred
vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and chills or sweating.
- Ecstasy content varies widely, and it frequently consists of substances entirely different from MDMA,
ranging from caffeine to dextromethorphan.
- Emergency room data indicate that MDMA is increasingly used by marijuana users, with reports of
MDMA in combination with marijuana increasing from 8 in 1990 to 796 in 1999.
- Ecstasy tablets seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration increased from 13,342 in 1996 to
949,257 in 2000.
* MDMA is on the U.S. Schedule I of controlled substances, and is illegal to manufacture, possess, or sell
in the United States.
- Typical doses of ecstasy range from around 80 to 160 milligrams of MDMA when taken orally.
- When ecstasy is taken by mouth, the effects manifest about 30-45 minutes later.
- MDMA was first synthesized and patented in 1914 by the German drug company called Merck.
- Memory tests of people who have taken Ecstasy as compared to non-drug users have shown that the
Ecstasy users had lower scores.
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Where Does Ecstasy Come From?
Clandestine laboratories operating throughout Western Europe, primarily the Netherlands and Belgium,
manufacture significant quantities of the drug in tablet, capsule, or powder form. Although the vast
majority of MDMA consumed domestically is produced in Europe, a limited number of MDMA labs operate
in the United States. In addition, in recent years, Israeli organized crime syndicates, some composed of
Russian exiles associated with Russian organized crime syndicates, have forged relationships with
Western European traffickers and gained control over a significant share of the European market. The
Israeli syndicates are currently the primary source to U.S. distribution groups.
Overseas MDMA trafficking organizations smuggle the drug in shipments of 10,000 or more tablets via
express mail services, couriers aboard commercial airline flights, or, more recently, through air freight
shipments from several major European cities to cities in the United States. The drug is sold in bulk
quantity at the mid-wholesale level in the United States for approximately eight dollars per dosage unit.
The retail price of MDMA sold in clubs in the United States remains steady at twenty to thirty dollars per
dosage unit. MDMA traffickers consistently use brand names and logos as marketing tools and to
distinguish their product from that of competitors. The logos are produced to coincide with holidays or
special events. Among the more popular logos are butterflies, lightning bolts, and four-leaf clovers.
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What Is GHB?
Since about 1990, GHB has been abused in the U.S. for euphoric, sedative, and anabolic (body building)
effects. As with Rohypnol and clonazepam, GHB has been associated with sexual assault in cities
throughout the country.
GHB was formerly sold by health-food stores and gyms as a
sleep aid, anabolic agent, fat burner, enhancer of muscle
definition and natural psychedelic. GHB was first synthesized in
1960 by a French researcher. It has been used in Europe as a
general anesthetic, a treatment for insomnia and narcolepsy, an
aid to childbirth and a treatment for alcoholism and alcohol
withdrawal syndrome.
In the last few years it has been gaining popularity as a recreational drug offering an alcohol-like,
hangover free high with possible prosexual effects (disinhibition often occurs and inhibitions are
suppressed).
Since 1990, GHB has been abused in the U.S. for euphoric, sedative, and anabolic (body building)
effects. Reports from Detroit indicate liquid GHB is being used in nightclubs for effects similar to those of
Rohypnol. As with Rohypnol and clonazepam, GHB has been associated with sexual assault in cities
throughout the country.
Street Names
G, Liquid X, Liquid E, Scoop, Soap, Gook, Grievous Bodily Harm, Georgia Home Boy, Natural Sleep-500,
Easy Lay or Gamma 10.
GHB Side Effects
- Abrupt, intense drowsiness
- Decreased body temperature
- Vomiting
- Slower, deep respiration
- Giddiness, silliness and dizziness
- Temporary amnesia
- Interference with mobility and verbal coherence
- Diarrhea
- Semi-consciousness
- Seizure
- Decreased heart rate
- Coma
- Sleep-walking
- Death
Rohypnol and GHB are predominantly central nervous system depressants. Because they are often
colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added to beverages and ingested unknowingly.
Since about 1990, GHB (gamma- hydroxybutyrate) has been abused in the U.S. for euphoric, sedative,
and anabolic (body building) effects. As with Rohypnol and clonazepam, GHB has been associated with
sexual assault in cities throughout the country.
Reports from Detroit indicate liquid GHB is being used in nightclubs for effects similar to those of
Rohypnol. It is also common in the club scene in Phoenix, Honolulu, and Texas, where it is known as
"liquid ecstasy," "somatomax," "scoop," or "grievous bodily harm." In Miami, poison control center calls
have reflected problems associated with increased GHB use, including loss of consciousness. In New
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York City, there have been reports of GHB use among those in the fashion industry. In Atlanta, it is
commonly used as a synthetic steroid at fitness centers and gyms.
Coma and seizures can occur following abuse of GHB and,
when combined with methamphetamine, there appears to
be an increased risk of seizure. Combining use with other
drugs such as alcohol can result in nausea and difficulty
breathing. GHB may also produce withdrawal effects,
including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating.
Because of concern about Rohypnol, GHB, and other
similarly abused sedative-hypnotics, Congress passed the
"DrugInduced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996" in October 1996. This legislation increased
Federal penalties for use of any controlled substance to aid in sexual assault.
Coke, snow, flake, blow, and many others.
Rohypnol
Rohypnol, the trade name for flunitrazepam, has been a concern for the last few years because of its
abuse as a "date rape" drug. People may unknowingly be given the drug which, when mixed with alcohol,
can incapacitate a victim and prevent them from resisting sexual assault. Also, Rohypnol may be lethal
when mixed with alcohol and/or other depressants.
Rohypnol produces sedative-hypnotic effects including muscle relaxation and amnesia; it can also
produce physical and psychological dependence. In Miami, one of the first sites of Rohypnol abuse,
poison control centers report an increase in withdrawal seizures among people addicted to Rohypnol.
Rohypnol is not approved for use in the United States and its importation is banned. Illicit use of Rohypnol
began in Europe in the 1970s and started appearing in the United States in the early 1990s, where it
became known as "rophies," "roofies," "roach," "rope," and the "date rape" drug.
Another very similar drug is now being sold as "roofies" in Miami, Minnesota, and Texas. This is
clonazepam, marketed in the U.S. as Klonopin and in Mexico as Rivotril. It is sometimes abused to
enhance the effects of heroin and other opiates. Based on emergency room Admission information,
Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Seattle appear to have the highest use rates of clonazepam
What are GHB Analogs?
GHB analogs are drugs which are metabolized in the body to produce similar effects as GHB. GHB
analogs often are abused in place of GHB or are used to produce GHB.
Common GHB analogs include:
GBL
- gamma-butyrolactone
- furonone di-hydro
- dihydrofuranone
BD
- 1,4-butanediol
- tetramethylene glycol
- sucol-B
- butylene glycol
GHV
- gamma-hydroxyvalerate
- methyl-GHB
GVL
- gamma-valerolactone
- 4-pentanolide
Source: NIDA Infofacts: Rohypnol and GHB
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What Is Heroin?
Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the
opiates.
Heroin is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or as the
black sticky substance known on the streets as "black tar heroin."
Although purer heroin is becoming more common, most street
heroin is "cut" with other drugs or with substances such as sugar,
starch, powdered milk or quinine. Street heroin can also be cut with
strychnine or other poisons.
Because heroin abusers do not know the actual strength of the drug or its true contents, they are at risk of
overdose or death. Heroin also poses special problems because of the transmission of HIV and other
diseases that can occur from sharing needles or other injection equipment.
Street Names
Smack, H, ska, junk, and many others.
How Is Heroin Consumed?
Heroin is usually injected, sniffed/snorted, or smoked. Typically, a heroin abuser may inject up to four
times a day. Intravenous injection provides the greatest intensity and most rapid onset of euphoria (7 to 8
seconds), while intramuscular injection produces a relatively slow onset of euphoria (5 to 8 minutes).
When heroin is sniffed or smoked, peak effects are usually felt within 10 to 15 minutes. Although smoking
and sniffing heroin do not produce a "rush" as quickly or as intensely as intravenous injection, NIDA
researchers have confirmed that all three forms of heroin administration are addictive.
Injection continues to be the predominant method of heroin use among addicted users seeking drug
treatment; however, researchers have observed a shift in heroin use patterns, from injection to sniffing
and smoking. In fact, sniffing/snorting heroin is now a widely reported means of taking heroin among
users admitted for drug treatment in Newark, Chicago, New York, and Detroit.
With the shift in heroin abuse patterns comes an even more diverse group of users. Older users (over 30)
continue to be one of the largest user groups in most national data. However, several sources indicate an
increase in new, young users across the country who are being lured by inexpensive, high-purity heroin
that can be sniffed or smoked instead of injected. Heroin has also been appearing in more affluent
communities.
Short-term Effects of Heroin
Soon after injection (or inhalation), heroin crosses the blood-brain
barrier. In the brain, heroin is converted to morphine and binds rapidly
to opioid receptors. Abusers typically report feeling a surge of
pleasurable sensation, a "rush." The intensity of the rush is a function
of how much drug is taken and how rapidly the drug enters the brain
and binds to the natural opioid receptors. Heroin is particularly
addictive because it enters the brain so rapidly. With heroin, the rush is
usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a
heavy feeling in the extremities, which may be accompanied by
nausea, vomiting, and severe itching.
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After the initial effects, abusers usually will be drowsy for several hours. Mental function is clouded by
heroin's effect on the central nervous system. Cardiac function slows. Breathing is also severely slowed,
sometimes to the point of death. Heroin overdose is a particular risk on the street, where the amount and
purity of the drug cannot be accurately known.
The same way that freebase is used, namely, by placing the substance in a glass pipe (or hash pipe) with
a fine mesh screen under it, then heating it and inhaling the vapors.
Prevalence Estimates
Although it is difficult to obtain an exact number of heroin users because of the transient nature of this
population, several surveys have attempted to provide estimates. A rough estimate of the hardcore addict
population in the United States places the number between 750,000 and 1,000,000 users.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found
that, in 2001, approximately 3.1 million Americans (1.4%) 12 years old and older had used heroin at least
once in their lifetime. Persons ages 18 to 25 reported the highest percentage of lifetime heroin use with
1.6% in 2001
According to the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study in 2002, 1.6% of 8th graders, 1.8%
of 10th graders, and 1.7% of 12th graders surveyed reported using heroin at least once during their
lifetime. That study also showed that 0.9% of 8th graders, 1.1% of 10th graders, and 1% of 12th graders
reported using heroin in the past year. Among college students surveyed in 2001, 1.2% reported using
heroin during their lifetime and 0.1% reported using heroin in the 30 days before being surveyed. Of those
young adults surveyed between ages 19 and 28, 2% reported using heroin during their lifetime and 0.3%
reported using heroin within the 30 days before being surveyed.
In another study, of those high school students surveyed in 2001 as part of the Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance System, 3.1% reported using heroin at least once during their lifetime. Male students (3.8%)
were more likely than female students (2.5%) to report lifetime heroin use.
Reference: NIDA InfoFacts: Heroin
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What Are Inhalants?
Inhalants are volatile substances that produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled to induce a
psychoactive, or mind-altering, effect. Although other abused substances can be inhaled, the term
"inhalants" is used to describe a variety of substances whose main common characteristic is that they are
rarely, if ever, taken by any route other than inhalation. This definition encompasses a broad range of
chemicals found in hundreds of different products that may have different pharmacological effects. As a
result, precise categorization of inhalants is difficult. One classification system lists four general
categories of inhalants - volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites - based on the form in which they
are often found in household, industrial, and medical products.
Inhalants fall into the following categories:
Solvents
Volatile solvents are liquids that vaporize at room
temperatures. They are found in a multitude of inexpensive,
easily available products used for common household and
industrial purposes. These include paint thinners and
removers, dry-cleaning fluids, degreasers, gasoline, glues,
correction fluids, and felt-tip marker fluids.
Volatile solvents are liquids that vaporize at room temperatures. They are found in a multitude of
inexpensive, easily available products used for common household and industrial purposes. These
include paint thinners and removers, dry-cleaning fluids, degreasers, gasoline, glues, correction fluids,
and felt-tip marker fluids.
- Industrial or household solvents or solvent-containing products, including paint thinners or removers,
degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, and glue.
- Art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip-marker fluid, and electronic contact
cleaners
Gases
Gases include medical anesthetics as well as gases used in household or commercial products. Medical
anesthetic gases include ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide, commonly called "laughing
gas." Nitrous oxide is the most abused of these gases and can be found in whipped cream dispensers
and products that boost octane levels in racing cars. Household or commercial products containing gases
include butane lighters, propane tanks, whipped cream dispensers, and refrigerants.
- Gases used in household or commercial products, including butane lighters and propane tanks, whipped
cream
aerosols
or
dispensers
(whippets),
and
refrigerant
gases
- Household aerosol propellants and associated solvents in items such as spray paints, hair or deodorant
sprays,
fabric
protector
sprays,
and
aerosol
computer
cleaning
products
* Medical anesthetic gases, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide ("laughing gas")
Nitrites
Nitrites often are considered a special class of inhalants. Unlike most other inhalants, which act directly
on the central nervous system (CNS), nitrites act primarily to dilate blood vessels and relax the muscles.
While other inhalants are used to alter mood, nitrites are used primarily as sexual enhancers. Nitrites
include cyclohexyl nitrite, isoamyl (amyl) nitrite, and isobutyl (butyl) nitrite, and are commonly known as
"poppers" or "snappers." Amyl nitrite is used in certain diagnostic procedures and was prescribed in the
past to treat some patients for heart pain. Nitrites are now prohibited by the Consumer Product Safety
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ComMission, but can still be found, sold in small bottles, often labeled as "video head cleaner," "room
odorizer," "leather cleaner," or "liquid aroma."
- Organic nitrites are volatiles that include cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl nitrites, and are commonly known
as "poppers." Amyl nitrite is still used for medical purposes. Volatile nitrites are often sold in small brown
bottles and labeled as "video head cleaner," "room odorizer," "leather cleaner," or "liquid aroma."
Street Names
Whippets, poppers, snappers
Statistics and Trends
Inhalants are often among the first drugs that young kids use. In NIDA's 2005 Monitoring the Future
study, 17.1% of 8th graders, 13.1% of 10th graders, and 11.4% of 12th graders said they had abused
inhalants at least once.
Source: NIDA Infofacts: High School and Youth Trends.
Extent of Use
Initial use of inhalants often starts early. Some young people may use inhalants as an easily accessible
substitute for alcohol. Research suggests that chronic or long-term inhalant abusers are among the most
difficult drug abuse patients to treat. Many suffer from cognitive impairment and other neurological
dysfunction and may experience multiple psychological and social problems.
Harmful irreversible effects that may be caused by abuse of specific solvents include:
- Hearing loss - toluene (spray paints, glues, dewaxers) and trichloroethylene (dry cleaning chemicals,
correction fluids)
- Peripheral neuropathies, or limb spasms - hexane (glues, gasoline) and nitrous oxide (whipped cream
dispensers, gas cylinders)
- Central nervous system or brain damage - toluene (spray paints, glues, dewaxers)
- Bone marrow damage - benzene (gasoline)
Serious but potentially reversible effects include:
- Liver and kidney damage - toluene-containing substances and chlorinated hydrocarbons (correction
fluids, dry cleaning fluids)
- Blood oxygen depletion - aliphatic nitrites (known on the street as poppers, bold, and rush) and
methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners)
Health Hazards
Although they differ in makeup, nearly all abused inhalants produce short-term effects similar to
anesthetics, which act to slow down the body's functions. When inhaled in sufficient concentrations,
inhalants can cause intoxication, usually lasting only a few minutes.
However, sometimes users extend this effect for several hours by breathing in inhalants repeatedly.
Initially, users may feel slightly stimulated. Repeated inhalations make them feel less inhibited and less in
control. If use continues, users can lose consciousness.
Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly induce
heart failure and death within minutes of a session of repeated inhalations. This syndrome, known as
"sudden sniffing death," can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young
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person. Sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane, propane, and
chemicals in aerosols.
High concentrations of inhalants also can cause death from suffocation by displacing oxygen in the lungs
and then in the central nervous system so that breathing ceases. Deliberately inhaling from a paper or
plastic bag or in a closed area greatly increases the chances of suffocation. Even when using aerosols or
volatile products for their legitimate purposes (i.e., painting, cleaning), it is wise to do so in a wellventilated room or outdoors.
Chronic abuse of solvents can cause severe, long-term damage to the brain, the liver, and the kidneys.
What Are the Patterns of Inhalant Abuse?
Inhalants - particularly volatile solvents, gases, and aerosols - are often among the first drugs that young
children use. One national survey indicates that about 3.0 percent of U.S. children have tried inhalants by
the time they reach fourth grade. Inhalant abuse can become chronic and extend into adulthood.
Generally, inhalant abusers will abuse any available substance. However, effects produced by individual
inhalants vary, and some individuals will go out of their way to obtain their favorite inhalant. For example,
in certain parts of the country, "Texas shoe-shine," a shoe-shining spray containing the chemical toluene,
is a local favorite. Silver and gold spray paints, which contain more toluene than other spray colors, also
are popular inhalants.
Data from national and State surveys suggest inhalant abuse
reaches its peak at some point during the seventh through
ninth grades. In the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, an
annual NIDA-supported survey of the Nation's secondary
school students, 8th-graders also regularly report the highest
rate of current, past year, and lifetime inhalant abuse; 10thand 12th-graders report less abuse.
The Short and Long-term Effects of Inhalant Use
Although the chemical substances found in inhalants may produce various pharmacological effects, most
inhalants produce a rapid high that resembles alcohol intoxication with initial excitation, then drowsiness,
disinhibition, lightheadedness, and agitation. If sufficient amounts are inhaled, nearly all solvents and
gases produce anesthesia, a loss of sensation, and even unconsciousness.
The chemicals found in solvents, aerosol sprays, and gases can produce a variety of additional effects
during or shortly after use. These effects are related to inhalant intoxication and may include belligerence,
apathy, impaired judgment, and impaired functioning in work or social situations. Dizziness, drowsiness,
slurred speech, lethargy, depressed reflexes, general muscle weakness, and stupor are other possible
effects. For example, research shows that toluene can produce headache, euphoria, giddy feelings, and
inability to coordinate movements. Exposure to high doses can cause confusion and delirium. Nausea
and vomiting are other common side effects.
Inhaled nitrites dilate blood vessels, increase heart rate, and produce a sensation of heat and excitement
that can last for several minutes. Other effects can include flush, dizziness, and headache. Unlike other
inhalants, which are abused mainly for their intoxicating effects, nitrites are abused primarily because
they are believed to enhance sexual pleasure and performance.
A strong need to continue using inhalants has been reported among many individuals, particularly those
who abuse inhalants for prolonged periods over many days. Compulsive use and a mild withdrawal
syndrome can occur with long-term inhalant abuse. Additional symptoms exhibited by long-term inhalant
abusers include weight loss, muscle weakness, disorientation, inattentiveness, lack of coordination,
irritability, and depression.
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Recognizing Inhalant Abuse
Early identification and intervention are the best ways to stop inhlants abuse before it causes serious
health consequences. Parents educators, family physicians and other health care pratitioners should be
alert to the following signs of a serious inhalant abuse problems:
- Chemical odors on breath or clothing
- Hidden empty spray paintor solvent containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
- Drink or disoriented apperance
- Slurred speech
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability and depression
Inhalant Consumption
Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or the mouth in a variety of ways, such as:
- "Sniffing" or "snorting" fumes from containers;
- Spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth;
- "Bagging"-sniffing or inhaling fumes from substances sprayed or deposited inside a plastic or paper bag;
- "Huffing" from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in the mouth; and
- Inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide.
Inhaled chemicals are rapidly absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and quickly distributed to
the brain and other organs. Within seconds of inhalation, the user experiences intoxication along with
other effects similar to those produced by alcohol. Alcohol-like effects may include slurred speech, an
inability to coordinate movements, euphoria, and dizziness. In addition, users may experience
lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions.
Because intoxication lasts only a few minutes, abusers frequently seek to prolong the high by continuing
to inhale repeatedly over the course of several hours, a very dangerous practice. With successive
inhalations, abusers can suffer loss of consciousness and death. At the least, they will feel less inhibited
and less in control. After heavy use of inhalants, abusers may feel drowsy for several hours and
experience a lingering headache.
What Is the Scope of Inhalant Abuse?
Inhalant abuse was up significantly for the second year in a row among 8th-graders, according to the
latest MTF data, while use among 10th- and 12th-graders continued to decline.
The rate of high school seniors who abused inhalants in the past year was 4.2 percent in 2004, down
from the peak of 8.0 percent in 1995. Annual abuse of inhalants among 10th-graders was 5.9 percent in
2004, also down from a high in 1995 (9.6 percent). Among 8th-graders, 2004 abuse figures, at 9.6
percent, were down overall from the 1995 peak of 12.8 percent, but were up from the 2002 rate of 7.7
percent.
According to the 2003 NSDUH, lifetime, past year, and past month inhalant use among persons aged 12
to 17 were 10.7 percent, 4.5 percent, and 1.3 percent, respectively. The number of new inhalant users
increased from 627,000 new users in 1994 to 1 million in 2002. Inhalant initiates were predominantly
under age 18 (78 percent in 2002).
MTF's lifetime prevalence figures indicate that the percentages of students who have tried inhalants
continue to decrease steadily for 10th- and 12th-graders. In 2004, 12.4 percent of 10th-graders and 11.9
percent of 12th-graders said they have abused inhalants at least once in their lives. Although lifetime
prevalence peaked for 8th-graders in 1995 (21.6 percent), rates of inhalant use among this group are still
high. In fact, 8th-graders reported a significant increase in lifetime use from 15.8 percent in 2003 to 17.3
percent in 2004. For 10th-graders, the peak was 19.3 percent in 1996. For seniors, rates were highest in
1994 at 17.7 percent. These data raise a question: How can fewer 12th-graders than 8th-graders
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consistently report they have ever abused inhalants? Possibly, many 12th-graders fail to recall their much
earlier use of inhalants or, more troubling, many 8th-grade inhalant abusers may have dropped out of
school by the 12th grade and are no longer included in the survey population.
Percent of 8th-Graders Reporting Lifetime Use of Inhalants Increased
Gender differences in inhalant abuse have been identified at different points in childhood. The 2004 MTF
indicates that 10.5 percent of 8th grade females reported using inhalants in the past year, compared with
8.8 percent of 8th grade males. Among 12th- graders, 3.4 percent of females and 4.8 percent of males
reported using inhalants in the past year. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an
annual survey of drug use among the Nation's noninstitutionalized civilians, reports that similar
percentages of 12- to 17-year-old boys and girls abused inhalants in 2003. However, the percentage of
18- to 25-year-old males who abused inhalants within the past month was more than twice that of females
in that age group, suggesting that sustained abuse of inhalants is more common among males.
People who abuse inhalants are found in both urban and rural settings. Research on factors contributing
to inhalant abuse suggests that adverse socioeconomic conditions, a history of childhood abuse, poor
grades, and dropping out of school all are associated with inhalant abuse.
Medical Consequences of Inhalant Abuse
Inhalant abusers risk an array of devastating medical consequences. Prolonged sniffing of the highly
concentrated chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can induce irregular and rapid heart rhythms and
lead to heart failure and death within minutes of a session of prolonged sniffing. This syndrome, known as
"sudden sniffing death," can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young
person. Sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane, propane, and
chemicals in aerosols. Inhalant abuse also can cause death by:
Asphyxiation - from repeated inhalations, which lead to high concentrations of inhaled fumes displacing
the available oxygen in the lungs;
Suffocation - from blocking air from entering the lungs when inhaling fumes from a plastic bag placed
over the head;
Convulsions or seizures - caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain;
Coma - the brain shuts down all but the most vital functions;
Choking - from inhalation of vomit after inhalant use; or
Fatal injury - from accidents, including motor vehicle fatalities, suffered while intoxicated.
Animal and human research shows that most inhalants are extremely toxic. Perhaps the most significant
toxic effect of chronic exposure to inhalants is widespread and long-lasting damage to the brain and other
parts of the nervous system. For example, both animal research and human pathological studies indicate
that chronic abuse of volatile solvents such as toluene damages the protective sheath around certain
nerve fibers in the brain and peripheral nervous system. This extensive destruction of nerve fibers is
clinically similar to that seen with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
The neurotoxic effects of prolonged inhalant abuse include neurological syndromes that reflect damage to
parts of the brain involved in controlling cognition, movement, vision, and hearing. Cognitive abnormalities
can range from mild impairment to severe dementia. Other effects can include difficulty coordinating
movement, limb spasms, and loss of feeling, hearing, and vision.
Inhalants also are highly toxic to other organs. Chronic exposure can produce significant damage to the
heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Although some inhalant-induced damage to the nervous and other organ
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systems may be at least partially reversible when inhalant abuse is stopped, many syndromes caused by
repeated or prolonged abuse are irreversible.
Abuse of inhalants during pregnancy also may place infants and children at increased risk of
developmental harm. Animal studies designed to simulate human patterns of inhalant abuse suggest that
prenatal exposure to toluene or trichlorethylene (TCE) can result in reduced birth weights, occasional
skeletal abnormalities, and delayed neurobehavioral development. A number of case reports note
abnormalities in newborns of mothers who chronically abuse solvents, and there is evidence of
subsequent developmental impairment in some of these children. However, no well- controlled,
prospective study of the effects of prenatal exposure to inhalants in humans has been conducted, and it is
not possible to link prenatal exposure to a specific chemical to a specific birth defect or developmental
problem.
Arnyl nitrite, butyl nitrite
Sudden sniffing death syndrome, suppressed immunologic function, injury to red blood cells ( interfering
with oxygen supply to vital tissues)
Benzene (found in gasoline)
Bone marrow injury, impaired immunologic function, increased risk of leukemia, reproductive system
toxicity.
Butane, Propane (found in lighter fluid, Hair and paint sprays)
Sudden sniffing death syndrome via cardiac effects, serious burn injuries (because of flammability)
Freon (used as a refrigerant and aerosol propelant)
Sudden sniffing death syndrome, respiratory obsstruction and death ( from sudden cooling / cold injury to
always), liver damage.
Methylene Chloride (found in paint thinners and removers, degreasers)
Reduction of oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, changes to the heart muscle and heartbeat.
Nitrous Oxide ("Laughing gas"), Hexane
Death from lack of oxygen to the brain, altered perception and motor coordination, loss of sensation, limb
spasms, blackouts caused by blood pressure changes, depression of heart muscle functioning.
Toluene (found in gasoline, paint tinners and removers, correction fluid)
Brain damage (loss of brain tissue mass, impaired cognition, gait disturbance, loss of coordination, loss of
equilibrium, limb spasms, hearing and vision loss), liver and kidney damage.
Trichlorethylene (found in spot removers, degreasers)
Sudden sniffing death syndrome, cirrhosis of the liver, reproductive complications, hearing and vision
damage.
Special Risks for Nitrite Abusers
Nitrites are abused mainly by older adolescents and adults. Typically, individuals who abuse nitrites are
seeking to enhance sexual function and pleasure. Research shows that abuse of these drugs in this
context is associated with unsafe sexual practices that greatly increase the risk of contracting and
spreading such infectious diseases as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Animal research raises the possibility that there may be a link between abuse of nitrite inhalants and the
development and progression of infectious diseases and tumors. The research indicates that inhaling
nitrites depletes many cells in the immune system and impairs immune system mechanisms that fight
infectious diseases. A recent study found that even a relatively small number of exposures to butyl nitrite
can produce dramatic increases in tumor incidence and growth rates in animals.
Source: NIDA Infofacts: Inhalants
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What Is LSD?
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the major drugs making up the hallucinogen class. LSD was
discovered in 1938 and is one of the most potent mood-changing chemicals. It is manufactured from
lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.
LSD, commonly referred to as "acid," is sold on the street in
tablets, capsules, and, occasionally, liquid form. It is odorless,
colorless, and has a slightly bitter taste and is usually taken by
mouth. Often LSD is added to absorbent paper, such as blotter
paper, and divided into small decorated squares, with each
square representing one dose.
The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that the strength
of LSD samples obtained currently from illicit
sources ranges from 20 to 80 micrograms of LSD per dose. This is considerably less than the levels
reported during the 1960s and early 1970s, when the dosage ranged from 100 to 200 micrograms, or
higher, per unit.
Street Names
Acid, blotter, dots, microdot, pane, paper acid, sugar, sugar cube, window glass, zen.
Health Hazards
The effects of LSD are unpredictable. They depend on the amount taken; the user's personality, mood,
and expectations; and the surroundings in which the drug is used. Usually, the user feels the first effects
of the drug 30 to 90 minutes after taking it. The physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body
temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry
mouth, and tremors.
Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs. The user may feel
several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in a large
enough dose, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user's sense of time and self
changes. Sensations may seem to "cross over," giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing
sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic.
Users refer to their experience with LSD as a "trip" and to acute adverse reactions as a "bad trip." These
experiences are long - typically they begin to clear after about 12 hours.
Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of losing control, fear of
insanity and death, and despair while using LSD. Some fatal accidents have occurred during states of
LSD intoxication.
Many LSD users experience flashbacks, recurrence of certain aspects of a person's experience, without
the user having taken the drug again. A flashback occurs suddenly, often without warning, and may occur
within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. Flashbacks usually occur in people who use
hallucinogens chronically or have an underlying personality problem; however, otherwise healthy people
who use LSD occasionally may also have flashbacks. Bad trips and flashbacks are only part of the risks
of LSD use. LSD users may manifest relatively long-lasting psychoses, such as schizophrenia or severe
depression. It is difficult to determine the extent and mechanism of the LSD involvement in these
illnesses.
Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not considered an addictive drug
since it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior as do cocaine, amphetamine, heroin,
alcohol, and nicotine. However, like many of the addictive drugs, LSD produces tolerance, so some users
who take the drug repeatedly must take progressively higher doses to achieve the state of intoxication
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that they had previously achieved. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of
the drug. NIDA is funding studies that focus on the neurochemical and behavioral properties of LSD. This
research will provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of the drug.
LSD Consumption
LSD is ingested orally. A microdot tablet or square of the perforated LSD paper is placed in the user's
mouth, chewed or swallowed, and the chemical is absorbed from the individual's gastrointestinal system.
Paper squares are the preferred medium because their small size makes them easy to conceal and
ingest. Also, because LSD is not injected or smoked, paraphernalia are not required.
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse data for
LSD are limited to estimates of lifetime use, defined as the
use of LSD at least once in a person's lifetime. During
1993, 13.2 million Americans, 12 years of age and older,
reported having used LSD at least once compared to 8.1
million in 1985, an increase of more than 60 percent. In
addition to the steady increase in LSD use since 1990, the
data reveal two significant expansions in the number of
lifetime users of LSD; one expansion occurred from 1985
to 1988 and the other from 1990 to 1991.
According to the 1994 Monitoring the Future Study, lifetime, past-year, and past-month use of LSD
among seniors in the class of 1994 increased to the highest level since at least 1985. Moreover, the
survey revealed that LSD use has increased in every category (except daily use) at every grade level. In
addition, the proportions of students associating great risk with the use of LSD and other drugs have been
declining significantly.
LSD Effects
LSD generates a wide variety of effects, the intensity of which are related to the size of the dose ingested,
the mental state of the user, and the setting in which it is used. Although the minimum dose required to
induce effects is considered to be 25 micrograms, a dose of as little as 10 micrograms can relax
inhibitions and produce mild euphoria. As the dosage is increased, the effects become more pronounced
and more prolonged. The LSD high is uncontrollable once the drug has been ingested because there is
no antidote.
LSD is absorbed easily from the gastrointestinal tract, and rapidly reaches a high concentration in the
blood. It is circulated throughout the body and, subsequently, to the brain. LSD is metabolized in the liver
and is excreted in the urine in about 24 hours.
Several factors provide LSD with a virtually inherent governor to its regular use, meaning that the drug will
never become as frequently abused as other drugs, most notably, crack cocaine. First, the duration of the
effects, which may persist for up to 12 hours or more, ensures that the user will not need to purchase the
drug on a rapidly recurring basis. Second, tolerance to the drug develops rapidly if used daily, rendering
its repeated ingestion useless, and cannot be overcome by ingestion of increased dosages. Third, the
uncertain and mixed effects, especially adverse reactions, lead to erratic instances of LSD use. Finally,
the extremely powerful and intense hallucinations often prompt users to abstain from LSD ingestion as
they require periods of reorientation.
Physical Effects
LSD use can produce a number of physical changes: mydriasis (prolonged dilation of the pupil of the
eye), raised body temperature, rapid heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, increased blood sugar,
salivation, tingling in fingers and toes, weakness, tremors, palpitations, facial flushing, chills, gooseflesh,
profuse perspiration, nausea, dizziness, inappropriate speech, blurred vision, and intense anxiety. Death
caused by the direct effect of LSD on the body is virtually impossible. However, death related to LSD
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abuse has occurred as a result of the panic reactions, hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia
experienced by users.
LSD distorts electrical messages sent to and from various parts of the brain, primarily those pertaining to
visual information. Messages from any of the senses can be perceived as merged together, creating a
sensation known as "synesthesia". This most commonly is represented as "hearing colors" or "seeing
sounds".
LSD also affects moods and emotions and suppresses memory centers and other higher cerebral
functions, such as judgment, reason, behavior control, and self-awareness. The combination and intensity
of these factors create the profound mental effects most closely associated with LSD.
Mental Effects
The mental effects most commonly associated with LSD use, particularly at high doses, are visual images
or hallucinations, often involving simulated philosophical or religious connotations. It is this artificial
imagery which has been advocated erroneously as providing true psychological insight and benefit.
The cause of most LSD-related problems is the intense visual illusions triggered that seem real and
become overpowering, prompting the user to want to withdraw from the drug state immediately. Initially,
at lower dosage levels, the visual images are intensified in color or flashes of light are seen. The visual
images progress to brightly colored geometric designs and become distorted. At higher dosages, images
appear as distortions of reality or as completely new visual images and can be seen with the eyes open
or closed.
Hallucinations also take other forms: thoughts become dreamlike or free-flowing, perception of time can
become slowed or distorted, and out-of-body experiences may occur or the perception that one's body
has merged with another person or object.
Emotional responses to the vivid hallucinations can be wide-ranging, from euphoria and contentment to
disturbing feelings of confusion, fear, and despair. Moods can change profoundly in a short period of time,
from excitability to tranquility.
The consequences of LSD use can be deleterious, not merely benign as is commonly perceived.
Powerful hallucinations can lead to acute panic reactions when the mental effects cannot be controlled
and when the user wishes to end the drug-induced state. While these panic reactions more often than not
are resolved successfully over time, prolonged anxiety and psychotic reactions have been reported. The
mental effects can cause psychotic crises and compound existing psychiatric problems.
Flashbacks
Flashbacks are one of the most dangerous side effects of LSD use. They are recurrences of images or
effects that were experienced during a previous LSD administration and they can vary in frequency and
duration. Flashbacks can occur spontaneously or they can be spurred by the use of other drugs
(particularly marijuana or hashish), emotional stress, fatigue, or movement from a light to a dark
environment. These flashbacks can last from a few seconds to several hours. Ironically, some
experienced LSD users do not consider flashbacks to be an adverse consequence of LSD use and
actually enjoy the renewed perceptions or images as a "free trip".
Source: NIDA InfoFacts: LSD
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What Are Magic Mushrooms?
There are around twelve different varieties of magic
mushrooms that grow wild throughout the UK in autumn, and
they have a powerful hallucinogenic effect similar to LSD.
The main type of mushroom used is called liberty cap
psilocybe. The other more potent variety is the amanita
muscaria this bears close resemblance to deadly poisonous
fungi. Magic mushrooms contain the psychedelic chemical
psilocybin.
Magic mushrooms can be eaten raw or they can be cooked or stewed into a tea and drunk; they can also
be dried and then stored.
Magic Mushroom Street Names
Liberties, magics, mushies, liberty cap, psilcybe semilanceata, psilcybin, shrooms, Amani agaric, Fly
Agaric
Appearance and Use
Once the trip has started there is no way to control or stop it, and
a bad trip can be unpredictable, with users experiencing feelings
of paranoia and being out of control. Users sometimes
experience severe stomach pains, as well as diarrhoea and
sickness. Too often, magic mushrooms can be confused with
other poisonous, sometimes deadly fungi, so if users experience
illness, they should get to hospital as soon as possible with a
sample of the fungi. Users do not become physically addicted
and there are no withdrawal symptoms.
Psilcybin mushrooms are small and tan coloured and bruise blue when they're touched. Amanita
Muscaria are more like the red and white spotted toadstools you see in fairytale books. After picking,
they're both either eaten raw or dried out and stored. Most people take between 1-5 grams.
The biggest danger with taking any magic mushrooms is making sure you're taking the right thing. There
are hundreds of varieties of out there and some of them are highly poisonous. And as you'd expect with
something that grows naturally, the strength varies depending on the freshness, the season and regional
variations.
Magic Mushroom's Effects
Both types of mushroom give you a trip. Trips can be good or bad. A good trip can be a lot of fun. A bad
trip is your worst nightmare come to life. Any sort of trip can have quite random and sometimes very
frightening effects. Trips feed off a person's imagination. One person can spend six hours in a very happy
place while someone else who's taken the same mushrooms can spend six hours lost in their own fears
and paranoia.
How the trip goes has everything to do with who you are, how you're feeling and how comfortable you are
with the people you are with. The effects for both mushrooms can take between 30 minutes to two hours
to happen. The strongest part of the trip takes 4-10 hours and the after-effects usually last a further 2-6
hours. The more you take, the longer your trip could last.
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- Both mushrooms can distort colour, sound and objects.
- Both mushrooms can speed up and slow down time and
movement.
- Both mushrooms can make you feel more emotionally
sensitive. Some people feel more creative and enlightened.
- Amanita's can give you the sort of out of body experience that
makes you feel like you're dreaming when you're awake.
- Amanita's can give you synesthesia which allows you to smell
words and taste colours.
- Bad trips are seriously frightening and unsettling. And you
can't tell whether you're going to have a bad trip or a good trip
(although there are things you can do to try and avoid a bad
trip).
- You're not in complete control of what you're doing. Your perception of your body and the world around
you can be distorted.
- Both mushrooms can make you feel sick, tired and disoriented.
- Amanita's can make you nervous, twitchy and cold.
- Amanita's can make make you feel so withdrawn inside your own head that you can't hold a sensible
conversation.
What Does the Law Say?
On the 18 July 2005 the Drugs Act 2005 came into force. The new law means that raw magic
mushrooms, as well as those that are dried or prepared, are now classified as Class A drugs.Possession
of magic mushrooms could lead to up to seven years in jail and an unlimited fine. Supplying someone
else with magic mushrooms could get you life imprisonment and an unlimited fine. It is illegal to import,
export, produce, supply, possess or possess with intent to supply magic mushrooms, in any form. It is
also illegal to supply growing kits. In the past only dried and prepared magic mushrooms were illegal
because they contained high levels or the Class A chemical psilocybin. Now raw mushrooms that contain
psilocybin are also illegal. This law has come in to halt the sale of raw magic mushrooms by commercial
vendors.Special exceptions will be made for magic mushrooms growing unattended on private land or for
those members of the public who may have picked magic mushrooms unknowingly. This law does not
apply to fly agaric mushrooms as they do not contain psilocybin.
Reference: NIDA
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What Is Marijuana?
Marijuana is a green, brown or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the
hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary
Jane, gangster or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana.
Sinsemilla (sin-seh-me-yah; it’s a Spanish word), hashish
(“hash” for short), and hash oil are stronger forms of
marijuana.
All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they
change how the brain works. They all contain THC (delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in
marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals.
Marijuana’s effects on the user depend on it’s strength or potency, which is related to the amount of THC
it contains. The THC content of marijuana has been increasing since the 1970s.
Marijuana Street Names
Pot, ganga, weed, grass and many others.
How Marijuana Affects the Body
Some immediate physical effects of marijuana include:
- a faster heartbeat and pulse rate
- bloodshot eyes
- dry mouth and throat
No scientific evidence indicates that marijuana improves hearing, eyesight, and skin sensitivity. Marijuana
use increases the heart rate as much as 50 percent, depending on the amount of THC. It can cause chest
pain in people who have a poor blood supply to the heart - and it produces these effects more rapidly
than tobacco smoke does.
Scientists believe that marijuana can be especially harmful to the lungs because users often inhale the
unfiltered smoke deeply and hold it in their lungs as long as possible. Therefore, the smoke is in contact
with lung tissues for long periods of time, which irritates the lungs and damages the way they work.
Marijuana smoke contains some of the same ingredients in tobacco smoke that can cause emphysema
and cancer. In addition, many marijuana users also smoke cigarettes; the combined effects of smoking
these two substances creates an increased health risk.
"Burnout" is a term first used by marijuana smokers themselves to describe the effect of prolonged use.
Young people who smoke marijuana heavily over long periods of time can become dull, slow moving, and
inattentive. These "burned-out" users are sometimes so unaware of their surroundings that they do not
respond when friends speak to them, and they do not realize they have a problem.
How Marijuana Affects the Mind
Laboratory studies have shown that animals exhibit symptoms of drug withdrawal after cessation of
prolonged marijuana administration. Some human studies have also demonstrated withdrawal symptoms
such as irritability, stomach pain, aggression, and anxiety after cessation of oral administration of
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana's principal psychoactive component. Now, NIDA-supported
researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, and Columbia University in New York City
have shown that individuals who regularly smoke marijuana experience withdrawal symptoms after they
stop smoking the drug.
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Studies at Columbia University in New York City have demonstrated that, in addition to aggression,
marijuana smokers experience other withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, stomach pain, and increased
irritability during abstinence from the drug. "These results suggest that dependence may be an important
consequence of repeated daily exposure to marijuana," says NIDA.
Signs of Marijuana Abuse
Some noticeable signs of Marijuana abuse include:
- Rapid, loud talking and bursts of laughter in early stages of
intoxication.
- Sleepy or stuporous in the later stages.
- Lack of concentration and coordination.
- Forgetfulness in conversation.
- Inflammation in whites of eyes.
- Odor similar to burnt rope on clothing or breath.
- Distorted sense of time passage - tendency to overestimate time
intervals.
- Craving for sweets.
- Increased appetite.
- Use or possession of paraphernalia including roach clip, packs of
rolling papers, pipes or bongs.
History of Marijuana
Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it was described in a
Chinese medical compendium traditionally considered to date from 2737 B.C. Its use spread from China
to India and then to N Africa and reached Europe at least as early as A.D. 500.
The first direct reference to a cannabis product as a psychoactive agent dates from 2737 BC, in the
writings of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. The focus was on its powers as a medication for
rheumatism, gout, malaria, and oddly enough, absent-mindedness. Mention was made of the intoxicating
properties, but the medicinal value was considered more important. In India though it was clearly used
recreationally. The Muslims too used it recreationally for alcohol consumption was banned by the Koran.
It was the Muslims who introduced hashish, whose popularity spread quickly throughout 12th century
Persia (Iran) and North Africa.
Marijuana in America
In 1545 the Spanish brought marijunana to the New World. The English introduced it in Jamestown in
1611 where it became a major commercial crop alongside tobacco and was grown as a source of fiber.
By 1890, hemp had been replaced by cotton as a major cash crop in southern states. Some patent
medicines during this era contained marijuana, but it was a small percentage compared to the number
containing opium or cocaine. It was in the 1920's that marijuana began to catch on. Some historians say
its emergence was brought about by Prohibition. Its recreational use was restricted to jazz musicians and
people in show business. "Reefer songs" became the rage of the jazz world. Marijuana clubs, called tea
pads, sprang up in every major city. These marijuana establishments were tolerated by the authorities
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because marijuana was not illegal and patrons showed no evidence of making a nuisance of themselves
or disturbing the community. Marijuana was not considered a social threat.
Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for
various conditions including labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Its use as an intoxicant was also
commonplace from the 1850s to the 1930s. A campaign conducted in the 1930s by the U.S. Federal
Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) sought to portray marijuana as
a powerful, addicting substance that would lead users into narcotics addiction. It is still considered a
"gateway" drug by some authorities. In the 1950s it was an accessory of the beat generation; in the 1960s
it was used by college students and "hippies"; and became a symbol of rebellion against authority.
The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I
drug, i.e., having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Most marijuana at
that time came from Mexico, but in 1975 the Mexican government agreed to eradicate the crop by
spraying it with the herbicide paraquat, raising fears of toxic side effects. Colombia then became the main
supplier. The "zero tolerance" climate of the Reagan and Bush administrations resulted in passage of
strict laws and mandatory sentences for possession of marijuana and in heightened vigilance against
smuggling at the southern borders. The "war on drugs" thus brought with it a shift from reliance on
imported supplies to domestic cultivation (particularly in Hawaii and California). Beginning in 1982 the
Drug Enforcement Administration turned increased attention to marijuana farms in the United States, and
there was a shift to the indoor growing of plants specially developed for small size and high yield. After
over a decade of decreasing use, marijuana smoking began an upward trend once more in the early
1990s, especially among teenagers.
Source: NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana
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What Is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects the central nervous system.
The drug is made easily in clandestine laboratories with relatively inexpensive over-the-counter
ingredients. These factors combine to make methamphetamine a drug with high potential for widespread
abuse.
Methamphetamine is commonly known as "speed," "meth,"
and "chalk." In its smoked form it is often referred to as
"ice," "crystal," "crank," and "glass." It is a white, odorless,
bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in
water or alcohol. The drug was developed early in this
century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and was used
originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers.
Methamphetamine's chemical structure is similar to
that of amphetamine, but it has more pronounced effects on the central nervous system. Like
amphetamine, it causes increased activity, decreased appetite, and a general sense of well-being. The
effects of methamphetamine can last 6 to 8 hours. After the initial "rush," there is typically a state of high
agitation that in some individuals can lead to violent behavior.
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential for abuse and is
available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. There are a few accepted medical reasons for
its use, such as the treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, and — for short-term use —
obesity; but these medical uses are limited.
Short-term Effects of Methamphetamine
As a powerful stimulant, methamphetamine or crystal meth, even in small doses, can increase
wakefulness and physical activity and decrease appetite. A brief, intense sensation, or rush, is reported
by those who smoke or inject methamphetamine. Oral ingestion or snorting produces a long-lasting high
instead of a rush, which reportedly can continue for as long as half a day. Both the rush and the high are
believed to result from the release of very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine into areas of the
brain that regulate feelings of pleasure.
Short-term effects can include:
- Increased attention and decreased fatigue
- Increased activity
- Decreased appetite
- Euphoria and rushv
- Increased respiration
- Hyperthermia
Long-term effects can include:
- Dependence and addiction psychosis
- Paranoia
- Hallucinations
- Mood disturbances
- Repetitive motor activity
- Stroke
- Weight loss
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How Methamphetamine Is Consumed
Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected. The
drug alters moods in different ways, depending on how it is taken.
Immediately after smoking the drug or injecting it intravenously, the
user experiences an intense rush or "flash" that lasts only a few
minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Snorting or oral
ingestion produces euphoria -- a high but not an intense rush.
Snorting produces effects within 3 to 5 minutes, and oral ingestion
produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes.
As with similar stimulants, methamphetamine most often is used in a "binge and crash" pattern. Because
tolerance for methamphetamine occurs within minutes — meaning that the pleasurable effects disappear
even before the drug concentration in the blood falls significantly — users try to maintain the high by
binging on the drug.
In the 1980's, "ice," a smokable form of methamphetamine, came into use. Ice is a large, usually clear
crystal of high purity that is smoked in a glass pipe like crack cocaine. The smoke is odorless, leaves a
residue that can be resmoked, and produces effects that may continue for 12 hours or more.
How Is Methamphetamine Different from other Stimulants like Cocaine?
Methamphetamine is classified as a psychostimulant as are such other drugs of abuse as amphetamine
and cocaine. We know that methamphetamine is structurally similar to amphetamine and the
neurotransmitter dopamine, but it is quite different from cocaine. Although these stimulants have similar
behavioral and physiological effects, there are some major differences in the basic mechanisms of how
they work at the level of the nerve cell. However, the bottom line is that methamphetamine, like cocaine,
results in an accumulation of the neurotransmitter dopamine, and this excessive dopamine concentration
appears to produce the stimulation and feelings of euphoria experienced by the user.
In contrast to cocaine, which is quickly removed and almost completely metabolized in the body,
methamphetamine has a much longer duration of action and a larger percentage of the drug remains
unchanged in the body. This results in methamphetamine being present in the brain longer, which
ultimately leads to prolonged stimulant effects.
The vapors of the freebase are absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and transported to the
brain within 10-15 seconds. One inhalation will produce a degree of intoxication usually lasting 10-15
minutes.
Effects of Methamphetamine on the Brain
Dopamine plays an important role in the regulation of pleasure. In addition to other regions, dopamine is
manufactured in nerve cells within the ventral tegmental area and is released in the nucleus accumbens
and the frontal cortex. It appears that the drug stimulates excess release of dopamine, contributing to the
effects on the user.
Methamphetamine: a Dangerous Drug, a Spreading Threat
Methamphetamine, or crystal meth, is a highly addictive drug that can be manufactured by using products
commercially available anywhere in the United States. The chemicals used in producing
methamphetamine are extremely volatile, and the amateur chemists running makeshift laboratories -often in hotels or areas where children are present -- cause deadly explosions and fires. The by-products
of methamphetamine production are extremely toxic. Methamphetamine traffickers display no concern
about environmental hazards when it comes to manufacturing and disposing of methamphetamine and its
by-products.
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The effects of methamphetamine, or crystal meth, on humans are profound. SAMHSA is currently testing
the effectiveness of various treatment regimens for methamphetamine, an addiction that is extremely
difficult to treat. The stimulant effects from methamphetamine can last for hours, instead of minutes as
with crack cocaine. Often the methamphetamine user remains awake for days. As the high begins to
wear off, the methamphetamine user enters a stage called "tweaking," in which he or she is prone to
violence, delusions, and paranoia. Many methamphetamine users try to alleviate the effect of the
methamphetamine "crash" by buffering the effects with other drugs such as cocaine or heroin. Like heroin
and cocaine, methamphetamine can be snorted, smoked, or injected.
Methamphetamine History
First synthesized in 1887 Germany, amphetamine was for a long time, a drug in search of a disease.
Nothing was done with the drug, from its discovery (synthesis) until the late 1920's, when it was seriously
investigated as a cure or treatment against nearly everything from depression to decongestion.
In the 1930's, amphetamine was marketed as Benzedrine in an over-thecounter inhaler to treat nasal congestion (for asthmatics, hay fever
sufferers, and people with colds). A probable direct reaction to the
Depression and Prohibition, the drug was used and abused by nonasthmatics looking for a buzz. By 1937 amphetamine was available by
prescription in tablet form.
Methamphetamine, more potent and easy to make, was discovered in Japan in 1919. The crystalline
powder was soluble in water, making it a perfect candidate for injection. It is still legally produced in the
U.S., sold under the trade name Desoxyn.
During World War II, amphetamines were widely used to keep the fighting men going (during the Vietnam
war, American soldiers used more amphetamines than the rest of the world did during WWII). In Japan,
intravenous methamphetamine abuse reached epidemic proportions immediately after World War II,
when supplies stored for military use became available to the public.
In the United States in the 1950s, legally manufactured tablets of both dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine)
and methamphetamine (Methedrine) became readily available and were used non-medically by college
students, truck drivers, and athletes, As use of amphetamines spread, so did their abuse. Amphetamines
became a cure-all for such things as weight control to treating mild depression.
Source: NIDA Methamphetamine
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What Is Speed?
Amphetamines are man-made drugs that have a bitter taste and usually come as a white, greyish white,
pale pink or yellow powder, and sometimes as a brightly coloured tablet. Amphetamines can be snorted,
swallowed, injected, dissolved in a drink or smoked.
Amphetamines can also come in a liquid form, which is
injected into the body.The most common form of the drug
is amphetamine sulphate, commonly known as Speed.
The purity of this drug is usually only about 5%, with the
rest mixed with other white powders, ranging from talcum
powder and toilet cleaner. As a result, it is said to be one
of the most impure drugs available in the UK. A new form
of amphetamine derivative is currently sweeping the
globe, but is still very rare in the UK. Amphetamines were
originally introduced into the UK in the 1930s as a
treatment for colds, flu and hay fever.
Amphetamine Street Names
Speed, whiz, uppers, amph, billy, sulphate, grudge, dexys, blues, base, ups, wake ups, bennies, dexies,
black beauties, jollies, crazy medicine, yaba and crazy horse.
Speed Appearance and Consumption
Amphetamines like speed are usually sold in wraps like cocaine. The powder is off-white or pinkish and
can sometimes look like small crystals. Base speed is purer and is a pinkish-grey colour and feels like
putty.
Prescription amphetamines like dexamphetamine are usually small white pills.
Speed's either dabbed onto the gums or sniffed in lines like cocaine using a rolled up bank note.
Sometimes it's rolled up in cigarette paper and swallowed. This is called a speedbomb. It can be mixed in
drinks, or injected.
The effects kick in after about half an hour if ingested but much quicker if injected or smoked
(methamphetamine) and can last for up to six hours. But it all depends on the quality of the speed. The
high is followed by a long slow comedown.
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Speed's Effects
In addition, if the initial experience leads to continued use, other adverse effects include the rapid
development of tolerance, addiction, and all the social problems that can come from an expensive drug
habit.
Regardless of dosage, these reactions may appear :
- Speed makes people feel wide awake, excited and chatty.
Clubbers take it because it gives them the energy to dance for
hours without getting knackered.
- Speed was once the main ingredient in diet pills because it
stops people feeling hungry.
There is a flip side:
- It's impossible to sit still or sleep on speed.
- The come down can make users feel irritable and depressed
and can last for one or two days.
- Speed makes some people panicky.
- Sniff a lot in a short space of time and expect hallucinations.
What Are the Risks?
The regular use of amphetamines means the body develops a tolerance, and larger doses of the drug will
be required to achieve the same high, which can lead to addiction.
Anybody who takes amphetamines for long enough may suffer from paranoia, delusions and
hallucinations, as well as risking infections such as hepatitis and HIV through contaminated
needles.Some users become tense and anxious after taking amphetamines, and can be tired and
depressed for several days. High repeated doses could lead to panic attacks, hallucinations, and also
place a serious strain on the heart.
The comedown from just one use can take a couple of days, sometimes longer, and concentration and
memory will be affected. Subsequently, heavy long-term use can also lead to problems with mental
illness. An overdose of amphetamines can be fatal and mixing amphetamines with other drugs increases
the danger significantly.
Speed puts a strain on your heart. It's bad news for people with high blood pressure or a heart condition.
An overdose can be fatal.
- Avoid taking speed and anti-depressants or alcohol. This combination has been known to be fatal.
- Taking a lot of speed can give your immune system a battering. You could get more colds, flu and sore
throats if you use it a lot.
- Speed can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability and aggression as well as mental illness such as
psychosis and paranoid feelings.
- Too much sniffing speed and you're sneezing lumps out of your nose into a hanky.
- Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene. Dirty or shared needles and injecting
works can help the spread of hepatitis and HIV. Injecting speed is particularly dangerous because it's cut
with so much crap.
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Source: NIDA
What Are Steroids?
Ever wondered how those bulky weight lifters got so big? While
some may have gotten their muscles through a strict regimen of
weight-lifting and diet, others may have gotten that way through
the illegal use of steroids.
Steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male sex
hormone testosterone. They do have legitimate medical uses.
Sometimes doctors prescribe anabolic steroids to help people
with certain kinds of anemia and men who don't produce enough
testosterone on their own.
Doctors also prescribe a different kind of steroid, called corticosteroids, to reduce swelling.
Corticosteroids are not anabolic steroids and do not have the same harmful effects.
There are many different kinds of steroids. Here's a list of some of the most common anabolic steroids
taken today: anadrol, oxandrin, dianabol, winstrol, deca-durabolin, and equipoise.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones. "Anabolic" refers
to muscle-building, and "androgenic" refers to increased masculine characteristics. "Steroids" refers to the
class of drugs. These drugs are available legally only by prescription, to treat conditions that occur when
the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of
impotence. They are also prescribed to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases that
result in loss of lean muscle mass. Abuse of anabolic steroids, however, can lead to serious health
problems, some irreversible.
Today, athletes and others abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and also to improve physical
appearance. Anabolic steroids are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months (referred
to as "cycling"), rather than continuously. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific
period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In addition, users often combine several different
types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects (referred to as
"stacking").
Health Hazards
The major side effects from abusing anabolic steroids can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice
(yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in
LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol). Other side effects include kidney
tumors, severe acne, and trembling. In addition, there are some gender-specific side effects:
- For men: shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts,
increased risk for prostate cancer.
- For women: growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle,
enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice.
- For adolescents: growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated
puberty changes. This means that adolescents risk remaining short for the remainder of their lives if they
take anabolic steroids before the typical adolescent growth spurt.
In addition, people who inject anabolic steroids run the added risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS
or hepatitis, which causes serious damage to the liver.
Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from abuse of
anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, but
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researchers report that extreme mood swings also can occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to
violence. Depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute to dependence on
anabolic steroids. Researchers report also that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme
irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.
Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to alleviate some of the negative
effects of anabolic steroids. For example, a study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment
center for dependence on heroin or other opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused anabolic steroids
before trying any other illicit drug. Of these 9.3 percent, 86 percent first used opioids to counteract
insomnia and irritability resulting from the anabolic steroids.
Extent of Use
Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) annually
assesses drug use among the Nation's 8th, 10th, and
12th grade students. Annual** use of anabolic steroids
remained stable at under 1.5 percent for students in
8th, 10th, and 12th grades in the early 1990s, then
started to rise. Peak rates of annual use occurred in
2002 for 12th-graders (2.5 percent), in 2000 and 2002
for 10th-graders (2.2 percent), and in 1999 and 2000
for 8th-graders (1.7 percent). Eigth-graders reported
significant decreases in lifetime and annual steroid use
in 2004, as well as a decrease in perceived availability
of these drugs.
A significant decrease in lifetime use was also measured among 10th-graders for 2004.
Most anabolic steroids users are male, and among male students, past year use of these substances was
reported by 1.3 percent of 8th-graders, 2.3 percent of 10th-graders, and 3.3 percent of 12th-graders in
2004.
Source: NIDA InfoFacts: Steroids
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Health – Driving
Teens are at a higher risk of being in a car crash. 1 in 5 new drivers are involved in a crash
within the first 2 years of driving. Car crashes are the number 1 killer of youth aged 13 to 25 in
B.C. As a result of these startling statistics, the BC government introduce the Graduated
Licensing Program for new drivers.
1. Go to the ICBC website and read about the Steps to Getting Your First Driver’s License and
Graduate Licensing Program. Then answer the following questions:

Approximately how long will it take a new driver to get their class 5 or 6 drivers’
license?
It will take a minimum of 36 months.
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How long is the learner stage? What restrictions are placed on your driving when you are
in the L stage?
It is a minimum of 12 months. You need a qualified driver who is at least 25 years
old in the front seat beside you. You can only carry 1 other passenger in the car (in
addition to the supervisor beside you). You can only drive between 5 a.m. and
midnight. There can be no alcohol in your blood and you must post the L sign
visibly for other drivers to see.

How long is the novice stage? What restrictions are placed on your driving when you are
in the N stage?
It is a minimum of 24 months. If you are driving without a licensed driver over 25
years old, you can only carry 1 passenger who is not related directly to you. There
can be no alcohol in your blood and you must post the N sign visibly for other
drivers to see.

How do you start the L stage?
You must be at least 16 years old and have your parents’ permission if you are
under 19. You must pass a written knowledge test and a vision screening test to
earn your L, class 7 or 8 drivers’ license.

How do you move from the L stage to the N stage?
You must have driven 12 months without any prohibitions and pass a practical road
test.
Planning 10 – EOP
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How does taking a Driver’s Education Program affect the length of time it takes to get
your class 5 or 6 drivers’ license?
It can reduce the Novice stage by 6 months.
It is never too early to begin studying for your written test. So if you haven’t already earned
your L, you can access the Road Sense manual, which the test is based on on-line or you can
pick it up at any Motor Vehicle Branch office.
2. Take the on-line practice knowledge test for your drivers’ license – even if you have your L.
(After all, if you passed it once, you should be able to pass it again.) If you score less than
80%, re-read and take the practice test again. Submit your email address so they will send
you a detailed report of your results. Attach a copy of that report with this assignment. You
may want to store a copy of that report in your Portfolio as well.
Students need to take the test and provide a copy of the results of that test which shows
they scored 80% or better on the practice test.
Read the print out of Transport Canada’s Safe Driving Tips, which is located in the readings for
this lesson.
3. List 10 ways that a driver can reduce the risk of car accidents
Students need to list any 10 of the following
 Wear your seat belt.
 Slow down.
 Be careful in intersections, even if you have the right of way. Treat a
non-working traffic light like a four-way stop.
 Watch out for other types of vehicles – motor bikes, bicycles
 Put kids under 12 in the back seat.
 Don’t drink and drive.
 Check your tire pressure once a month and before long trips.
 Do not exceed the load limit of your vehicle.
 Inspect your tires for uneven tread wear, cuts, cracks, bulges, and
foreign objects.
 Rotate tires on a regular basis.
 Avoid cutting in front of trucks or braking suddenly in front of them.
 Move through the driver’s blind spot quickly.
 Never pass on the right.
 When passing a truck, do it promptly and be prepared for splash and
spray from wet roads as you pass.
 Obey the rail crossings signals.
 Turn off distractions around railway crossings.
 Look before crossing a railway line.
 Do not use a cell phone while driving.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Keep the gas tank at least half full and add gasoline antifreeze to
every second tank in the winter.
Top up fluids in the winter.
Use a matching set of all-season or snow tires that meet standards.
Make sure tires have valve caps that will keep out snow and ice.
Dress properly for winter driving.
Carry a winter emergency kit.
Check local weather and road conditions before leaving.
Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
Take a map and be prepared to take an alternate route in the winter.
Take a cell phone in case of emergencies.
4. Drivers are not the only ones responsible for reducing the risk of road-related injuries. Think
about the roles of pedestrian, cyclist, and passenger. List 6 things these people can do to
reduce road-related injuries.
Students should list 6 things. They should be reasonable.
Drinking and driving is a serious issue in our society. There are organizations such as MADD
and SADD that are committed to the prevention of senseless maiming and deaths caused by
mixing alcohol and driving. In order to educate the public these organizations and others create
Public Service Announcements (PSAs), which could be in the form of print ads, bulletin board
displays or videos. There are many different approaches that can be taken when designing a
PSA? Which do you find the most effective?
Shock effects provide a realistic look at an issue, but may turn people off entirely. Also,
broadcasters may be reluctant to broadcast PSAs they feel may be too controversial.
5. View the 2 Shock Effects PSAs (scroll down to see the 2nd one) and answer the following
questions:
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Give one similarity between the campaigns?
Give one difference between the campaigns?
Which one do you think is more effective in illustrating the dangers of drunk
driving and why?
Would either of these PSAs influence you personally? Why or why not?
Students must answer all questions and their answers should be reasonable and where
appropriate justified.
Humour catches your attention, especially for kids and teens, but humour may trivialize serious
issues.
6. View the 3 Using Humour PSAs (scroll down to see the 3rd one), created by the Canadian
organization Adbusters, which is making a parody of Absolut vodka advertisements. The
small print for “Absolute End” reads: “Nearly 50% of automobile fatalities are linked to
alcohol. 10% of North Americans are alcoholics. A teenager sees 100,000 alcohol ads before
reaching the legal drinking age.”
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The Screwed PSA, created by MADD and FACE—Truth and Clarity on Alcohol reads:
“The alcohol industry snuffs out the truth by showing alcohol as sexy and exciting. Bigger
bottles as you drink more and sweet to mimic stuff you drank as a kid. Frogs, lizards, breasts
and dumb @$$’# to snag you. Final twist ... You pay the price. Don’t buy the lie.”
Answer the following questions:
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Who do you think is the target audience for these ads?
What assumption do they make about their target audience?
Are they effect? Why or why not?
Is humour an appropriate tool for addressing these issues? Why or why not?
Students must answer all questions and their answers should be reasonable and where
appropriate justified.
Serious PSAs can come off as preachy. There is a fine line between earnestness and appearing
to be patronizing.
7. View the 3 Serious Message PSAs (scroll down to see the 3rd one). The first one, Don’t Let
Good Times Turn Bad, was produced by MADD and FACE. It reads “Assault. Burns.
Drowning. Car crashes. Rape. Suicides. Alcohol Poisoning. You can die from drinking too
much. You can also drown, get burned, get in a fight, get raped, fall off a balcony or end up
in a wheelchair. Stop drinking fast and hard. Don’t let good times turn bad.”
The Best Night of My Life PSA was created by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and is
distributed every May and June. The caption reads: “Your prom should be memorable – for
all the right reasons. You know you don’t need to drink to have fun. Plan ahead and make
smart choices. Don’t let drinking flush your prom night down the drain.”
The Last Thing You Remember is Dancing was produced by MADD and FACE. This poster
reads: “The last thing you remember is dancing. How you got here is pretty much a blur.
You went to a party, drank way too much and aren’t sure where you’re going now. Who is
this guy anyway? It started out fun, but now it doesn’t feel so great. Next time—stay at the
party if want, dance, get to know the guy—but lighten up on the alcohol. Take care of the
girl in the mirror.” Answer the following questions:
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Do any of these ads cross the fine line between seriousness and preaching? If so,
which ones? Explain how.
Who is the target audience for each ad?
Which one do you think is more effective in illustrating the dangers of excessive
drinking and why?
Would any of these PSAs influence you own decisions regarding alcohol? Why
or why not?
Students must answer all questions and their answers should be reasonable and where
appropriate justified.
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PSAs created by the Alcohol Industry often come under attack, as they often downplay the
serious problems associated with alcohol abuse.
8. View the 4 Industry Campaign PSAs (scroll down to see the 3rd and 4th ones) and answer the
following questions:
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Who is the target audience for each ad?
Do you think any of these campaigns would be effective? Which ones? Why?
Do you think the alcohol industry is sincere in its efforts to promote responsible
drinking? Why or why not?
Students must answer all questions and their answers should be reasonable and where
appropriate justified.
9. As the last question of the last assignment in the Health section of this course, it is important
to give you an opportunity to reflect on your overall wellness. Complete the Wellness
Inventory. Place a copy of it in your Portfolio. Submit a copy of it with this assignment and
use the results to thoughtfully answer the following questions:
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What category would you most like to improve in? (Need to identify at least one –
after all no one is perfect.) Why did you choose that one?
Which specific factor(s) in that category would you like to change and why?
For each factor you identified, brainstorm 3 ways you could do to improve it. Which
one of those factors do you think you would be most likely to follow through with?
Why?
How will you know if you have been successful in implementing that action?
Students must submit a copy of their Wellness Inventory, as well as honest, thoughtful
responses to the questions above.
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Planning 10 – EOP
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Finances – Financial Skills – Part 1
Much of the work you will do in the Finances section of this course will come from a course the
British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC), an independent provincial government agency
responsible for regulating trading in securities in BC and protecting investors, has created
specifically for Planning 10 students. Their goal was to help young people acquire the
knowledge, skills, and confidence they’ll need to begin planning for their post-secondary
education or career, and navigate through the financial realities of adulthood.
The approach of the BCSC course is to blend the use of fictional characters with real-life
financial activities related to the lives of grade 10 students. As each financial topic is introduced,
students first learn new concepts and information through the use of eight characters called
“Lifestage Characters,” who represent people at different stages of life and in different financial
circumstances. You will use financial documents pertaining to the characters to learn about and
practice skills related to the topic. Then you will get a “reality check” through a series of handson activities that ask you to apply their new knowledge to your own lives using realistic financial
information.
The lessons are introduced by short stories involving the Lifestage Characters. The stories use
the cast of characters in the same way that a television series does to build an on-going story and
to maintain a relationship with the audience.
The stories are set in “The City” – an environment that’s similar to the world you know but
modified to avoid associating it with a particular place and time. The City, like the financial
world, may be scary for you – it’s unfamiliar and occasionally dangerous. But after spending
some time there and getting to know your way around, you should feel more comfortable and
confident. You should know how to take advantage of what The City has to offer and to keep
yourself safe while you’re there.
Getting Registered and Logging in to the BCSC Planning 10 Course
1. Go to the British Columbia Securities Commission website at www.bcsc.bc.ca
2. Click on Planning 10
3. On the Planning 10: Finances homepage, click on For Students
4. Click on Register and chose the option that requires you to enter a Class ID
Our Class ID is 475f3863
5. Follow the steps to complete your registration
6. Give your parents the letter on the following page.
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Dear Parent or Guardian:
As part of the Planning 10 course your child is registered in at Education Outreach, your child
will complete a series of lessons and activities to learn basic financial life skills. The Ministry of
Education requires all students to learn these skills to help them meet their education and career
goals, and to prepare them for their transition from secondary school.
This part of the course covers a range of topics including budgeting, banking, savings, credit,
debt, insurance and investments. Learning about these topics will give students some of the
skills they need to learn how to finance their career and education goals. These financial skills
will also help your child create the transition plan and graduation portfolio he or she needs to
graduate from secondary school.
The activities will ask your child to consider his or her goals, and the finances required to
achieve them. These activities will help make these goals more realistic and relevant to your
child’s life. They will also help your child achieve his or her education and career goals.
For some activities, your child may discuss financial topics with you. For example, he or she
may ask you what kind of banking services you use or what kind of insurance your family has.
Some activities may ask your child to write a summary of these discussions. The summary will
go into your child’s personal portfolio, but it will not be graded. We will not discuss or disclose
your personal finances.
Talking about family finances at home will help your child understand financial skills in real-life
circumstances. Discussion will help your child make realistic plans for his or her own future.
Please support your child’s learning by discussing as much of your family’s finances as you feel
comfortable with.
If you have any questions, please call me at 250-832-0662 or email me at [email protected].
For more information about this program or about financial life skills, visit the British Columbia
Securities Commission’s website at www.bcsc.bc.ca and click Planning 10.
Sincerely,
Heather Leask
Heather Leask,
Planning 10 Teacher
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Marking Guide: Students must complete each of the activities, and submit copies of
forms where indicated. Look for a thorough response that is reasonable. There are
no “right” answers for most questions...others will depend upon the character they
chose to be. See the pages after this lesson re: information on the characters the
students are choosing from.
Lesson 1 – What Do You Know
1. Complete the on-line Handout-1-1 What Do You Know? (pre-test) to assess your current
knowledge of financial skills.
2. Print your results. (There is a print button at the bottom of the page.) You will submit
the printed page as part of this lesson.
Lesson 2 – Lifestyle Reality Check
1. Complete the on-line Handout 2-1 Lifestyle Reality Check. For your income, use the job
you will likely have your first year out of high school. If you are going to college or
university, assume you will have a part-time job. Print your report. You will submit the
printed page as part of this lesson.
2. Clear the data and complete the on-line Handout 2-1 Lifestyle Reality Check again. This
time for your income, use the job you will likely have the first year after you have
completed any post-secondary education or training. Assume you are not married and
you don’t have any children. Print your report. You will submit the printed page as
part of this lesson. Discuss the reports with your parents or another adult.
3. Answer the following questions:
a. Describe the future lifestyle you’d like to have. (e.g. Where would you like to
live? What kind of work would you liked to do? What recreation and
entertainment would you choose?)
b. List three things you learned by doing the Lifestyle Reality Checks.
c. Write a summary of your discussion with your parents or another adult about your
Lifestyle Reality Check. How can their financial skills help you achieve your
goals.
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Lesson 3 – Welcome to The City
1. Read Story 3 in order to learn about The City and the characters in it.
2. Use the information in Lifestage Character Profiles (you have to click on the picture with
a name under it to access a character profile) to select the character you want to be.
Complete Handout 3-1 Character Profile for your chosen character. Do not create the
poster.
Lesson 4 – Needs, Wants and Priorities
1. Read Story 4-1 in order to learn about the differences between needs and wants and how
to set priorities.
2. Complete Handout 4-1 Needs Wants and Priorities for yourself and friends or your
family.
3. Complete Handout 4-2 Spending for your chosen character. Go through all the
documents on your character to see how they spent their money during the month.
Record it on Handout 4-2. Note: Some purchases will appear on more than one
document. Record them only once, but record all the documents they are on under the
“Document” column. Also note: if you see a reference to City Linx on a bank statement,
it is the local bus company. At the bottom you are asked to make an observation about
your character’s spending patterns.
Lesson 5 – Income
1. Read Story 5 to learn about income and potential sources.
2. Use the Income information in your Lifestage Character’s Profile to complete the online
Handout 5-2 Lifestage Character’s Monthly Income. Be careful when you look at the
income documents for your character. Some of them are for the month, and some are
only for a two-week period. For those you will need to double the amount to determine
the monthly income. Also, note: the GST credit is paid 4 times a year, so the amount
represents 3 months income. You will want to divide that by 3 to get the monthly GST
credit. Print the results, as you will need to submit it as part of this lesson.
3. Complete the online Handout 5-3 My Monthly Income Worksheet for yourself. Only
include what your actual income as of right now. Print the results, as you will need to
submit it as part of this lesson.
4. Complete Handout 5-4 Potential Sources of Funding.
If you are planning on going to college or university you will need to Explore Funding
Options, unless your parents are very wealthy and willing to pay for all your expenses.
At that site you will see links to scholarships and bursaries offered around the province
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and across Canada. You can also ask your counsellor for a copy of the most recent
scholarship/bursary list for your local school. It is not too early to do the research on what
is out there, because the application process often involves writing letters and gathering
evidence. If you know what evidence you will need when you apply, you can start
gathering it and storing it in your portfolio now. The site also links out to the Student
Loan site, so you can calculate approximately how much money you would be eligible to
receive, if you needed it.
Lesson 6 – Expenses
1. Read Story 6-1 to learn about the different types of expenses: fixed and variable.
2. Use the Income information in your Lifestage Character’s Profile and their spending
behaviour that you collected in Handout 4-2 to complete the online Handout 6-1
Lifestage Character’s Monthly Expenses This is your recommendation of what your
character should be spending on fixed (these don’t change from month to month) and
variable (these can change from month to month) expenses.
You should start by recording the expenses your character is currently “locked” into (e.g.
rent, car loan, car insurance payments, etc.). Make sure you are recording the monthly
cost and not the yearly ones. The amounts listed on the right hand side of Handout 6-1
are what the average person spends on those particular types of expenses. Use that as a
guideline for how much your character should be spending. Your goal is to provide for
your character’s expenses without exceeding your character’s monthly income. IF it is
NECESSARY and REASONABLE then you may need to exceed it. In that case, you
need to include a statement on the page as to how your character is going to meet those
expenses. How will they increase their income? Print the results, as you will need to
submit it as part of this lesson.
3. Complete the online Handout 6-1 My Monthly Income Expenses for yourself. Only
include what your actual expenses as of right now – what you yourself (not your parents)
pay. Print the results, as you will need to submit it as part of this lesson.
Lesson 7 – Budget
1. Read Story 7 to learn about budgets.
2. Complete Handout 7-1 My Current Budget based on your current income and expenses.
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Finances – Financial Skills – Part 2
Marking Guide: Students must complete each of the activities, and submit copies of
forms where indicated. Look for a thorough response that is reasonable. There are
no “right” answers for most questions...others will depend upon the character they
chose to be. See the pages after this lesson re: information on the characters the
students are choosing from.
Lesson 8 – Savings
1. Read Story 8 to learn about savings.
There are 3 reasons to save some of your income:
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to buy a big item or pay for a big bill that’s coming,
to have emergency funds, and
to build funds to invest.
You can put your money to work by saving:
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when you save, your money can earn interest,
a savings account is a simple investment, and
interest depends on time and risk.
Once you decide to save, you need to consider
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what your best savings choice will be,
when you will need the money – soon or after a long time, and
can you put your money to work for you.
There are several different ways to save:
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reduce spending on “wants”,
pay yourself first – save 10% of income after deductions
put your savings to work: savings account, guaranteed investment certificate
(GIC), term deposit, Canada Savings Bond (CSB) and other investments.
There is a direct inverse relationship between the amount of money you can expect to
earn on an investment and how risky it is. You will learn more about this in lesson 12,
but the key point is that the safer the investment the less money you can expect to earn.
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Interest Calculations:
Simple Interest – interest paid only on the initial deposit
e.g. $100 at 5% simple interest for 4 years earns $5 every year for a total of $20.
interest = principal * rate * time
Compound Interest – interest paid on the initial deposit and on any interest that has been
earned
e.g. $100 at 5% compounded interest earns $5 in the first year
$5.25 in the second year (total: 110.25)
$5.51 in the third year (total $115.75)
$5.79 in the fourth year (total $121.56)
2. Savings add up when you follow a regular savings plan. Calculate the answers to the
problems below. Show the steps needed to arrive at your answers.
a. If you put $250 into an investment that paid 5% simple interest each year, how
much interest would you earn in 5 years? How much would you have at the end
of the five years?
12.50 + 12.50 + 12.50 + 12.50 + 12.60 = 62.50 in interest
250 + 62.50 = 312.50 at the end of 5 years
b. If you put $250 into an investment that paid 5% interest compounded annually,
how much interest would you earn in 5 years? How much would you have at the
end of 5 years?
12.50 + 13.12 (the bank will not round up) + 13.78 + 14.47 + 15.19 = 69.06 in
interest
250 + 69.06 = 319.06 at the end of 5 years
c. If you put $240 at the beginning of each year into an investment that paid 5%
compound interest each year, how much interest would you earn in 5 years? How
much would you have at the end of 5 years?
240 * 0.05 = 12
240 + 12 = 252 end of year1
252 + 240 = 492 * 0.05 = 24.60 492+ 24.60 = 516.60
end of year 2
516.60 + 240 =756.60 * 0.05 = 37.83 756.60 +37.83 = 794.43 end of year 3
794.43 + 240 = 1034.43 *0.05 = 51.72
1034.43+51.72=1086.15 end of year 4
Planning 10 – EOP
1086.15 + 240=1326.15 *.05=66.30
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1086.15+ 66.30 = 1392.45 end of year 5
Total interest earned: 12+24.6+37.83+51.72+66.30 = 192.45
3. Complete online Handout 8-1 My Savings Goal.
Lesson 9– Banking Services
1. Read Story 9-1 Banking Services to learn how different institutions offer different
services at different costs.
2. Complete Handout 9-1 Your Guide to Banking Services.
Lesson 10 – Credit and Debit
1. Read Story 10 in order to learn about credit and debt.
Credit Responsibilities:
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Borrow only what you can repay
Understand your contract before signing
Pay amounts as agreed
Keep cards, PINs and passwords secure
Cost of Debt:
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Interest/finance charge
o Annual interest rate
o Charged from day of purchase, unless there’s a grace period
o Charged immediately on cash advances
o Compounded monthly
Annual fee
Using Debt:
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Short –term implications
o No waiting to accumulate savings
o Interest adds to cost
o Must budget to pay back loan
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Long-term implications
o Achieve some goals earlier
o Build positive credit rating
o Debt load limits choices
o Negative credit rating (due to late or non-payment of bills) limits options
o Pay down debt first
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2. Complete the online Handout 10-1 Dangerous Debt.
3. Complete Handout 10-2 Borrowing Money and My Future Goals.
4. Read Handout 10-3 Quick Quiz: Credit Cards and Other Debts.
Lesson 11 – Insurance
1. Read Story 11 Insurance to learn about why you should consider purchasing it.
What’s Insurance:
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A contract, or policy, under which the insured pays a premium to the insurer in
exchange for a promise to pay compensation for certain losses, if they occur
during the term of the policy.
The insurance company takes the risk of large payouts and divides the cost among
a large number of insured policy holders.
The insured pays the first part of the loss – the deductible – when there is a claim.
Insurance costs are higher when there is a low deductible.
What’s Covered:
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Defined in the policy – the written agreement
Basic home insurance usually covers fire, storms, accidents, water damage,
vandalism and similar acts
Doesn’t cover wilful damage by the insured
Property is valued “as is”
You can buy coverage for replacement value at higher costs
2. Complete Handout 11-1 Insuring My Vehicle.
3. Complete Handout 11-2 My Insurance Needs.
Lesson 12 – Investment Options
1. Read Story 12 in order to learn about the different types of investments that can help your
money work for you.
2. Complete Handout 12-1 Investment Scams.
3. Complete Handout 12-2 My Investments.
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Lesson 13 – Identity Theft and Fraud
1. Read Story 13 in order to learn about how to protect yourself from identity theft.
2. Read Handout 13-1 Stay Safe From Scams to learn how to avoid scams and fraud.
3. Using one of the sites at the bottom of Handout 3-1, select a scam that is currently being
played on unsuspecting victims. Then record the information you learned about it on
Handout 13-2 Scams in the News.
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Finances – Determining Real Costs of Major Purchases
When you are young it is easy to think you know what it will cost to make a major purchase.
But what people often forget is that there are often “hidden” costs involved with the purchase. In
this lesson you are going to explore 1 of 2 major purchases:
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buying a used car, or
setting up an apartment.
No matter which option you choose, it is important to do the research. Often young people are
impulsive when making major purchases. It is hard when you are excited about finally getting
what you’ve wanted for a long time, to take the time to be fully informed. That’s why you are
going to go through the research process now. So when the time comes to actually make these
decisions you will be better informed on the actual costs and what to expect when making the
purchase.
When completing this assignment, you will need to consult experts – other people who have
gone through this process. These could be your parents, your friends, other relatives, etc. Be
sure to use the resources around you, on this assignment, and in the future when you are making
major decisions.
What are the steps to buying a used car?
Do research to find the vehicle (make, model, year) that would match your needs:
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Consider what you need the vehicle for: commuting, school, work, family? Write down
your needs and favourite vehicles.
Research vehicle safety features.
Research fuel efficiency.
Research the range of sticker prices for each used vehicle.
Research leasing, purchase options and resale value. Be sure to determine the full cost
of the lease or purchase and not just the monthly payment. If you are thinking about
purchasing the car over time (up to 60 months), you need to calculate what the finance
(interest) charges will be. Also, to purchase a car over time, you will need an adult to cosign the loan for you. They basically agree to pay the loan if you don’t.
Research the insurance costs for each vehicle. Ask your Autoplan broker for details.
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Inspect the paperwork and vehicle for problems. If anything causes you concern or if you
feel pressured into buying a vehicle, walk away from the sale:
Checking ID and vehicle records
Checked? Item to check
Make sure that the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the dashboard
identification plate matches the number on the vehicle registration form. Check
that it has not been tampered with. If it has been tampered with, this may be a
stolen vehicle. You should look for loose rivets, scratched numbers,
mismatched rivets, screws in place of rivets, or tape, glue or paint over the VIN
plate.
It is also a good idea to have a licensed mechanic compare the VIN numbers
on the doorpost and engine firewall.
Look at the original vehicle registration form, not a photocopy.
Check that the vehicle make, model and colour match the description on the
vehicle registration form.
Make sure that the licence plate on the vehicle matches the plate number on
vehicle registration form.
If you are in the Lower Mainland, ask to see an AirCare certificate.
This certificate helps you determine that the vehicle is in good mechanical
condition.
Look at the seller’s photo ID to make sure that the name on the registration
form is the same as on the licence, and that the photo matches the person in
front of you. Make sure the person has given you a valid home address and
phone numbers.
Ask to see the service records for the vehicle.
Stolen vehicles usually do not come with maintenance records. You might
want to call the repair shop to verify that the maintenance work was done.
When purchasing a vehicle from the U.S., make sure it has not been in a flood.
Flooded vehicles cannot be licensed or insured in B.C. For details, contact the
Registrar of Imported Vehicles .
Planning 10 – EOP
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Inspecting the vehicle
Walk around the vehicle and look for the following items:
Checked? Item to check
Evaluate the condition of the tires. For example, check if they are
unevenly worn or balding.
Press down each corner of the vehicle. It should come to rest quickly. If it
keeps bouncing, the shock absorbers may need replacing.
Check the trunk for spare tire, jack and wheel wrench.
Inspect the vehicle body for dents, signs of rust, ripples or signs of
repainting, which might indicate recent body work.
If the seats, stereo and tires have been replaced with after-market
equipment, ask the seller for receipts. This helps to verify that the items
aren't stolen. (After-market equipment is equipment installed after a new
vehicle is purchased.)
Check the odometer reading (average is 25,000 km/yr) to ensure is hasn't
been tampered with.
Taking a road test
If you're still interested in the vehicle, take it for a test drive. Look for the following
items:
Checked? Item to check
Check that the vehicle starts immediately and idles smoothly once it has
warmed up.
Check that the engine gauges and warning lights are working and that the
steering does not stiffen up and bind. With power steering, there should be
no squeaks or moans.
Check that the brakes feel firm.
Check that the vehicle can drive in a straight line without pulling to the
side. Pulling to one side can indicate a problem with tire alignment.
Purchase a vehicle history report:
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A vehicle history report could help you choose the right vehicle—and steer clear of a bad
deal.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Researching the Purchase of a Used Car Assignment
1. Identify 3 different used vehicles that you would be interested in purchasing between now
and the first year after graduation. They must be different makes of vehicle. Be sure to
identify the make, model and range of years for each of your identified vehicles. For each
vehicle, explain how it fits with a) your needs and b) your wants. Record your results on the
Vehicle Comparison table.
2. Research the safety features, fuel efficiency, and insurance costs of each vehicle. For the
insurance cost, be sure to specify the type and amount of coverage. Add your research to the
comparison table.
3. Use the newspaper, internet, and car lots to research the price of the 3 vehicles you identified.
You need to record in your table at least 3 prices for each vehicle and the source of each
price. When you are using the internet, be sure you are using Canadian sites, so you get
Canadian prices and you don’t have to worry about the importation of your vehicle.
4. Use the GM Black Book price calculator to determine the trade-in value of each vehicle.
Add this information to your comparison table. This will give you some idea of what the
vehicle would be worth to you if you wanted to trade it for another vehicle. It is interesting
to compare this value to the prices you discovered in your purchase price research.
5. To register the sale of the vehicle you will also have to pay 7.5% sales tax, a license plate fee
of $18, and a transfer fee of $28. Add this information to the table.
6. Assume that you have $1500 in savings that you could use towards purchasing a used car. If
you paid the average purchase price for each vehicle, how much would you need to borrow
to buy each vehicle? Record your results on the table.
7. Use RBCs Car Loan Calculator to determine the current interest rate for a car loan, the
payments if you borrow the money for 24 months, 36 months, and 48 months, and the total
interest paid if the money is borrowed for 24 months, 36 months, and 48 months. Record
your research on your table.
8. Estimate the incidental monthly and yearly costs of operating each vehicle and add them to
your table:
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9.
gas per month
oil and other fluids per month
parking per month
a set of winter tires per year
maintenance and repairs per year
Decide which vehicle you would be most likely to purchase and explain why. Be sure to
include the total cost of purchasing the vehicle and the cost of operating the vehicle for 1
year.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Students must submit a completed table with the information shown below. They also
must choose among the vehicles and explain their choice. In their explanation they must
include the total purchase cost and the cost of operating the vehicle for 1 year.
Vehicle 1
Vehicle 2
Vehicle 3
Vechicle:
Make/Model/Year
Range
Ways it fits my needs
Ways it fits my
wants
Safety Features
Fuel Efficiency
Insurance coverage
Insurance cost/year
Price #1 and Source
Price #2 and Source
Price #3 and Source
Black Book Value
Sales tax 7.5%
Transfer fee and
License plate
46
Amount to be
borrowed
Interest rate
Monthly payment
24
36
40
Total Interest paid
24
36
48
Gas per month
Oil etc. per month
Winter tires
Maintenance and
repairs per year
46
46
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
Page 129 of 140
What are the steps to moving away from home?
Whether you are moving away to go to school or you are just ready to be out on your own,
moving away is an emotional undertaking, as well as a financial one. You may think that it is no
big deal, but as the time approaches you will see that it really is. The more planning you can do
beforehand, the easier the process will be when the time is right.
The focus of this assignment is to have you think about all the expenses involved in setting up
your first apartment. (If you are planning on going to college after high school and living in
dorm, not to worry because you will have the opportunity to research those expenses in the last
assignment in this unit.)
When you consider the costs of moving into an apartment, everyone tends to focus on the
monthly rent and groceries. But, even more important are all the first month expenses:
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damage deposit,
telephone connection
hydro connection
gas connection (if applicable)
cablevision and internet connection
furniture purchases
bedding and towels
necessities (kitchen equipment and staples, bathroom supplies, cleaning supplies)
moving expenses (although if you don’t have much, it is pretty cheap to move the first
time...unless you are moving across the country, of course)
So, you can see that before you move out, you need to think about what the initial costs will be
as well as the regularly monthly expenses of living on your own. Then you need to ensure you
have a job that will supply you with the necessary income to live comfortably in your new place.
Researching the Cost of Setting Up an Apartment Assignment
1. Determine where you would like to live after high school and enter it on the Housing Option
Comparison table. Indicate on the table, your preferred living arrangements:
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Would you want to live alone?
Would you be willing to rent a basement suite?
Would you be willing to be a roommate in an apartment?
2. Research the current cost of renting an apartment in that community. Use the internet or
newspaper to locate 3 advertisements for housing situations that you are interested in. Note:
you may not be familiar with all the abbreviations you can find in a housing advertisement.
So you may need to read about them in Understanding the Ads and its linked glossary. You
will need to submit the ads as part of this assignment and mark them as option1, 2, and 3.
For each ad, indicate the type of arrangement and how it meets 1) your needs and 2) your
wants on the comparison table.
Planning 10 – EOP
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3. Record the monthly rent, last month rent (if you have to pay it to move in), and the damage
deposit for each housing option on your table.
4. Determine the connection costs associated with each housing option and enter the
information on your table. (Note: some options will include heat and/or cable.)
5. Estimate the monthly costs associated with each housing option. Record that information on
your table. Some costs may be included in the rent. In that case enter 0.
6. Identify the key pieces of furniture you will need in each option, and if there is a cost
involved. Record that information on your table. Enter 0 if you have it already or it is
supplied as part of a furnished room. Enter N/A if you won’t need the listed item. Insert
rows in the table to add furniture you will need that is not listed.
7. Identify the key appliances you will need in each option, and if there is a cost involved.
Record that information on your table. Enter 0 if it is supplied as part of the rent. Enter N/A
if you won’t need the listed item. Insert rows in the table to add furniture you will need that
is not listed.
8. Read about the importance of carrying Renters Insurance and what it covers. Check out each
of the links on the right side under Make an Informed Choice so you are fully informed.
Determine the yearly costs of basic renters insurance in the community you are interested in
living in. You may need to call an insurance company to get this information. Enter this
amount in your comparison table. For simplicity sake, assume that the rate is the same for all
3 housing options.
9. Brainstorm a list of bedding, towels, kitchen equipment, staples and supplies (kitchen,
bathroom, and cleaning) you will need to purchase to set up your new place. Go to the store
and price out these items. You will submit the priced list as part of this assignment. Record
the total cost on your comparison table.
10. Determine a monthly budget for groceries and enter it on your table.
11. Determine which housing option would be the best for you and explain your choice. Be sure
to include the total cost to set up the place, as well as the total monthly cost of living in it.
Students need to complete the information on the table on the following page. They also
need to decide on a housing option and explain their choice. Their explanation should
include the total costs to set up the housing option, as well as the total monthly cost of
living in it.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Housing Option Comparison
I would like to live in __________________
I would prefer to _______________________________________________________________
Option 1
Living arrangement
Ways it fits my needs
Ways it fits my wants
Rent and Damage Deposit
Monthly rent
Last month rent required in
advance
Damage deposit
Connection Fees
Telephone connection
Hydro connection
Gas connection
Cablevision connection
Internet connection
Monthly Service Fees
Telephone cost per month
Hydro cost per month
Gas cost per month
Cablevision cost per month
Internet cost per month
Furniture Needed
Bed
Night stand
Dresser
Kitchen Table & Chairs
Living room couch/chair
Coffee table
TV
Computer Table
Computer
Appliances Needed
Fridge
Stove
Microwave
Washer & Dryer
Renter’s Insurance
Bedding, towels, kitchen
equipment, staples, supplies
Groceries per month
Option 2
Option 3
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
Page 133 of 140
Finances – Taxes
Canadians pay a lot of money in taxes. Some of this money is collected from us when we buy
items at the store. Other money is taken directly off our pay cheques. As a citizen, it is
important that you know where your money is going.
Complete the Learning About Taxes course on the Canadian Revenue Agency’s website. There
are four modules that you need to do:
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Module 1: Basics of Taxation
Module 2: Tax Filing Process
Module 3: Roles and Responsibilities
Module 4: Complete a Basic Tax Return
The course will take about 2 hours for you to complete. You do not have to do it at one sitting.
You can come back to where you left off, as long as you make a note of where you were.
As you work through the course, answer the following questions:
1. What are taxes?
Taxes are a compulsory contribution levied on persons, property, or businesses for the
support of government for economic and social operations or money paid to a
government to fund its programs and services.
2. Identify 3 “things” that are paid for by Canadian taxes.
Canada's tax systems pay for roads, public utilities, education, health care, economic
development, cultural activities, defence, and law enforcement.
3. What percentage of the federal budget was spent on national defence in 2007-2008?
7.4% of the federal budget was spent on national defence
4. Identify and explain 3 guidelines the federal government apply when implementing tax
legislation?
Students need to list and explain any 3 of the following:
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Fairness - The tax system must ensure that all taxpayers share the tax burden equally.
Simplicity and compliance - People will be more willing to comply with tax laws if the
system is simple and easy to understand.
Balance - Tax revenues raised through personal income tax should be distributed to those
who need funds the most.
Stability - The federal government needs a stable and dependable source of tax revenue
so it can manage the country's economy.
Planning 10 – EOP
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International competitiveness - The tax system should help Canadian businesses
compete internationally.
Economic growth - The tax system should encourage growth through lower tax rates and
a broader tax base.
Canadian priorities - The tax system should help meet national and regional social and
economic needs that are priorities and values for most Canadians.
Transitional implementation - Tax changes should be put into place in a way that gives
Canadians time to understand and adjust to the new tax rules.
Consultation - The federal government is committed to consulting Canadians before
making final decisions about tax changes.
5. When did Canada first being collecting personal income tax? Why did the government feel it
was necessary to do this?
Canada first collected personal income tax in 1917 to cover the costs of World War I.
6. When did the federal government begin to collect GST??
The federal government began to collect the goods and services tax (GST) in 1991.
7. Who was responsible for the first recorded tax in Canadian history? When did it occur and
what was the tax on?
In 1650, Louis XIV of France imposed the first recorded tax in Canadian history. It was
an export tax of 50% on beaver pelts and 10% on moose hides leaving his colonies.
8. Who administers tax laws for the federal government and most of the provinces and
territories?
The CRA administers tax laws for the Government of Canada and for most provinces
and territories.
9. Identify the five most common Canadian taxes.
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income tax
Employment Insurance premiums
Canada Pension Plan contributions
provincial sales taxes
goods and services tax
10. Who is required to contribute to CPP?
In general, if you work in Canada or are self-employed and you are 18 to 70 years old, you
become a contributor to the CPP.
Planning 10 – EOP
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11. Who must pay into Employment Insurance? Why is it a good thing to contribute to EI?
Any paid employee is required to pay EI premiums. The EI program may provide you
with benefits if you become unemployed.
12. What taxes are collected when you purchase a video game in BC?
PST and GST are collected when a video game is purchased in BC.
13. List 5 categories of items which are exempt from GST.
These items are sold without collecting GST:
 basic groceries;
 prescription drugs and most medical devices;
 most health, medical, and dental services;
 residential rents, including university residences and boarding houses;
 purchases of used homes;
 local or municipal bus services and passenger ferry services;
 legal aid services;
 most banking services; and
 most educational services, including tuition fees to publicly funded colleges and
universities, and charges for certain courses in private vocational schools.
14. In some provinces the PST and GST are combined into a single tax. This looks convenient,
but it can cause some concerns for taxpayers. There are items in BC that you do not pay PST
on, but you do pay GST. For example, in BC if you eat at a restaurant the price of the meal
is subject to GST only. If the tax is combined, suddenly BC taxpayers will be paying the
combined tax on everything that had GST on it. That means that restaurant prices will
increase by 7%. What is the combined tax called?
This is known as harmonized sales tax (HST).
15. According to the CRA web site, where is the nearest community offering the Volunteer Tax
Preparation Clinic?
The closest community offering this service is located in Sicamous.
16. What is the phone number for you to find out the status of your income tax refund?
The Tax Information Phone Service (T.I.P.S.) phone number is 1-800-267-6999.
Planning 10 – EOP
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17. What are the benefits of filing your tax return electronically?
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Fast processing - In most cases, an electronically filed tax return can be processed in
about two weeks, resulting in faster assessment notices and refunds;
Greater accuracy - Electronic filing eliminates the need for the CRA to manually
key tax data;
Availability - Electronic filing lets individuals send in their tax returns seven days a
week;
Security - State-of-the-art encryption technology and security procedures protect
personal information at all times;
Electronic confirmation - Users will receive electronic confirmation that their tax
return was received; and
Environmentally friendly - Electronic filing is an almost paper-free system.
18. What are the different ways you can file your taxes electronically?
The CRA's electronic tax-filing services are known as EFILE, TELEFILE, and
NETFILE.
19. What happens if you owe money on you income tax, but you don’t pay it when you file your
statement?
The CRA has to collect the overdue tax in a firm and efficient manner. They will make
a second request for the balance owing, either by mail or telephone. If the individual
still doesn't pay the tax or contact the CRA to discuss matters, CRA staff may send a
final letter demanding payment and warning that legal action could follow. Hopefully,
the issue is resolved at this point. If it is not, the CRA could take legal action to collect
the overdue tax or seize assets belonging to the individual.
20. Do you have to file a tax return to be eligible for the GST credit and the Chile Tax Benefit?
Yes.
21. When must you file your income tax?
Generally, your return for 2008 has to be filed on or before April 30, 2009.
22. Under what circumstances are people under the age of 19 eligible to receive the GST credit?
You may also be eligible to receive the GST/HST credit if you are under 19 years of age
and you have (or had) a spouse or common-law partner or you are (or were) a parent
and live (or lived) with your child.
Planning 10 – EOP
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23. What is the purpose of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights?
The Taxpayer Bill of Rights will make it easier for you to understand what you can
expect in your dealings with the CRA, that you will be treated fairly under clear and
established rules, and that you can look forward to high standards of service in all your
interactions with the CRA.
24. What program allows you to register your dissatisfaction with the way your concerns have
been handled by the CRA?
The CRA - Service Complaints program will investigate your concerns.
25. What program will provide a final impartial review of a complaint against the CRA?
The Taxpayers' Ombudsman will provide a final, impartial review.
26. What is meant by tax avoidance?
This occurs when an individual tries to put off, reduce, or completely avoid tax
that must be paid by law.
27. What is meant by the underground economy?
Earning income without reporting it is called the underground economy.
28. What are the penalties if you are found guilty of a tax-related crime?
If an individual is convicted of a tax-related crime, he or she could be fined or sent to
jail.
29. How long do you need to keep your supporting documents for your tax return?
You should keep your supporting documents for six years.
30. What statement is used to inform you and the CRA how much money you earned in the year?
A statement of remuneration paid (T4 slip).
31. What was Paul’s net income, total federal non-refundable tax credits, net federal tax, and the
amount of his refund?
Paul’s net income for 2008 was $6200. His total federal non-refundable tax credit
1608.94. His net federal tax is $0. His refund is $202.
Planning 10 – EOP
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Planning 10 – EOP
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Finances – Financial Plan
One of the realities of growing up is you will have to become responsible for your own finances.
In this activity your task is to determine how you will finance your first year after high school.
If you are planning on attending post-secondary, you will have to cover tuition, transportation,
and living expenses if you are not living at home. The Education Planner website that you used
earlier in the course has a great section on Money Matters:
www.educationplanner.bc.ca/moneymatters.cfm
If you are planning on going straight to work after high school, either assume you are living
away from home or you are paying a reasonable room and board to your parents. Once you have
built your budget, you will need to review it with your parents and have them sign off on it.
1. Complete the online Handout 7-2 Freedom 18 Budget in the BCSC Planning 10 website.
Note: this is for your first year after high school. If you are planning on staying at home
and work for a year, you have to assume you are paying a reasonable room and board to
your parents.
2. Write down the income you recorded in your Freedom 18 Budget. Calculate the total
amount you would have if you saved 5% of your income for 3 years in an investment that
paid 5% compound interest each year. (To keep calculations simple, assume you can put
the 5% away at the beginning of the year.) Repeat the calculations for 10% and 15% of
your income.
3. Complete Handout 8-2 My Savings.
4. Complete Handout 10-5 Borrowing Money and Your Future Goals.
5. Complete Handout 11-2 Insuring My Car and update your Freedom 18 Budget.
6. Complete Handout 11-3 My Insurance Needs and update your Freedom 18 Budget.
7. Read Story 15-1 Financial Plan to learn the differences between creating a budget and
having a financial plan for the future.
8. Read Overhead 15-1 Budget and Financial Plan and Overhead 15-2 Parts of a Financial
Plan.
9. Review Handout 15-1 My Financial Plan – Sample to get an idea of the components of
the financial plan you will be creating.
10. Use the online Handout 15-3 My Financial Plan to create you financial plan. You will
want to save a copy of this in editable form, so you can update it over the next two years.
In grade 12, you will need to submit your Financial Plan as part of your Graduation
Transitions course. So make sure a copy goes into your portfolio.
Planning 10 – EOP
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11. Review your Freedom 18 Budget and your Financial Plan with your parents. Have them
sign them as evidence of your discussion.
12. Complete Handout 15-4 Financial Plan Review.
13. Complete the online What Do You Know (post-test). Print a copy of your results and
submit them with this lesson. Store a copy of your results in your portfolio.
Students need to complete all of the forms and come up with a reasonable financial plan
for their 1st year after high school.