Year 8 Health and Physical Education: Recognising Safety

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering drug classifications, alcohol safety, vaping risks, caffeine effects, harm minimisation, and wellbeing strategies based on Year 8 Health notes.

Psychoactive substances

Chemicals that work on the mind and senses, changing how a person thinks, feels, and behaves by altering brain cell messages.

Depressants

Drugs that slow down the central nervous system and the messages sent between the brain and the body, such as alcohol and cannabis.

Stimulants

Substances like caffeine or nicotine that speed up brain activity, increasing heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure.

Hallucinogens

Also known as psychedelics, these substances alter a person’s perception of reality and can cause them to see or hear things that do not exist.

Ecstasy

A drug classified as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen.

Standard drink

An alcoholic beverage measure containing exactly $10\,g$ of pure alcohol.

Risky drinkers

Individuals defined as those who consume alcohol at levels exceeding recommended safety guidelines.

Propylene glycol

A substance used in vapes that, when heated, can cause damage to human cells.

Vitamin E acetate

A chemical found in some THC vapes that has been linked to severe lung issues and vaping-related deaths.

Caffeine

A natural stimulant found in coffee beans and tea leaves that triggers the release of adrenaline and speeds up CNS messages.

Energy drinks

Non-alcoholic carbonated drinks containing high concentrations of caffeine or guarana to produce a sense of alertness.

Guarana

A herbal source of caffeine frequently added to energy drinks as a stimulant.

Caffeine toxicity

A dangerous level of caffeine intake, noted in a case study as a cause of death for a man consuming four energy drinks daily.

Harm minimisation

A health strategy focused on reducing the social, economic, and health-related harms of alcohol and drugs on individuals and communities.

Deadly

A term in First Nations Australian slang meaning 'very good,' used in health campaigns to empower healthy choices.

Yarn Safe

A health campaign specifically designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of First Nations Australian young people.

Eustress

Positive stress that occurs during exciting or good events, such as winning a prize.

Distress

Negative stress resulting from unpleasant situations, like sitting a final exam.

Cortisol

A stress hormone in the body that naturally rises and falls throughout the day.

Dadirri

An Indigenous Australian concept described as 'the deep inner spring inside us' or deep inner listening.

Smiling Mind

A recommended app providing short meditations and assistance videos to help students manage stress, anxiety, and sleep.