HPE Drugs and Alcohol - Grade 9 Term 2 2025

Harm-minimisation strategy groups

1. Public policy and laws - Public policy and laws are rules or principles established by the government or national organisations that dictate how individuals and institutions should behave.

2. Advocacy - Advocacy involves actively supporting or promoting a cause or policy to influence public opinion, decision-makers, or government policy.

3. Education in schools - Education in schools refers to the formal teaching and learning process that takes place in educational institutions.

4. Taxation and pricing (alcohol only) - Taxation and pricing strategies are used to influence the behaviour of individuals and businesses by adjusting taxes or prices on goods and services.

5. Access and availability - This strategy focuses on the level of access that the public have to various products.

6. Regulating promotion (alcohol only) - Regulating promotion involves controlling or restricting the ways in which products (especially harmful ones) are advertised, marketed, and promoted to the public.

Drink spiking

Drink spiking is when someone deliberately adds alcohol or another drug to your drink without your knowledge.

Explain the legality of drink spiking

Drink spiking is illegal in all Australian states and territories. Penalties include fines and imprisonment ranging from 2 to 25 years.

Identify the substances used to spike drinks

Most of the time, drinks are spiked with alcohol. Either the drink is stronger than you think, or someone has added extra alcohol.

Deduce how a person would know if their drink had been spiked

• If your drink has been spiked you may not be able to see, smell or taste it. The drug or extra alcohol may be colourless and odourless and may not affect the taste of your drink

• Feeling dizzy, faint, ill and sleepy

• Feeling drunk even if you think you’ve only had a little alcohol to drink

• Passing out

• Waking up feeling uncomfortable and confused, with memory blanks about the night before

Explain strategies to reduce the likelihood of having your drink spiked

·       When you’re out at a pub, club or party, watch your drinks

·       Avoid sharing drinks

·       If someone you don’t know well offers you a drink, go to the bar with them

·       Many people have their drinks spiked by someone they know. To avoid this, buy or pour your own drinks

·       Keep an eye on your friends and their drinks

Explain what to do if you have been affected by a spiked drink

·       Ask someone you trust to help you get to a safe place

·       If you feel unwell or have been sexually assaulted, go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital

·       Ask your doctor to test for the presence of drugs. Urine or blood tests can pick up traces of certain drugs up to 24 hours later

Identify where the alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream from bodily organs

Stomach (20%) and small intestines (80%)

Define a standard drink

Australia’s standard drink is defined as containing 10g of alcohol (equivalent to 12.5mL of pure alcohol)

What are some short-term effects when a person drinks alcohol?

·       loss of inhibitions and more confidence

·       flushed appearance

·       blurred vision and slurred speech

·       intense moods, e.g. aggression, elation, depression

·       relaxation

·       lack of co-ordination and slower reflexes

The effects of alcohol on an individual depend on a variety of factors. What are these factors?

• Food consumption

• Biological Gender

• Body weight

• Medications or other drugs

Long-term effects from alcohol consumption on the stomach

• Inflamed lining and bleeding

• Cancer of the food pipe

Long-term effects from alcohol consumption on the liver

• Swelling and pain

• Alcoholic liver disease, such as cirrhosis

• Cancer

Long-term effects from alcohol consumption on the kidneys

• Decrease in kidney function

• Ability to process blood and properly form urine

Long-term effects from alcohol consumption on the circulatory system

Increased heart rate

Increased blood pressure

Weakened heart muscles

Irregular heart beat

Atrial fibrillation

Long-term effects from alcohol consumption on the mouth and lungs

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Reduces your total lung capacity, making it difficult for you to breathe