PDHPE: Substance Use, Road Safety, and Relationships

Flashcards covering PDHPE topics including alcohol and binge drinking, road safety, risk reduction, sexuality, harassment, relationship power dynamics, discrimination, and cannabis effects.

What is the definition of binge drinking?

Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking alcohol that rapidly raises blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to $0.08\%$ or higher within a short period, typically about two hours.

What are some harms associated with binge drinking?

Harms include alcohol poisoning, violence and risky behavior, blackouts, memory loss, acute pancreatitis, severe hangovers, and dehydration.

What does 'BAC' stand for and what does it measure?

BAC stands for Blood Alcohol Content, which measures the amount of alcohol present in a person's bloodstream.

What are the legal BAC limits for L plate, P plate, and full license drivers?

L plate and P plate drivers are subject to a strict zero-tolerance policy (no detectable alcohol in the system), whereas full license drivers have a limit of under $0.05\%$.

What defines a standard drink, and what is the active stoning ingredient in cannabis?

A standard drink is defined as any drink containing $10\text{ grams}$ of pure alcohol. The active stoning ingredient in cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

How is 'drug dependence' defined?

A psychological state where a person’s body or mind needs a psychoactive substance to function normally, leading to withdrawal symptoms if they stop using it.

How are 'resilience' and 'adversity' defined?

Resilience is the ability to bounce back, recover, and adapt positively when facing stress, adversity, trauma, or major life changes. Adversity is a difficult, hostile, or unlucky situation, state, or event.

What is the definition of a drug?

A substance that affects the way your body and mind function; it can change how you feel, think, and behave.

How does looking away from the road for two seconds while driving at $60\,\text{km/h}$ impact distance traveled?

Looking away for two seconds at $60\,\text{km/h}$ covers more than $30\text{ meters}$ completely unobserved.

How does sleep deprivation of $17+$ hours affect a driver's cognitive functions?

Staying awake for $17+$ hours creates an impairment similar to a $0.05\%$ blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

What are the four broad categories of factors that lead to road and traffic injuries?

Human and driver factors, vehicle factors, road and infrastructure factors, and environmental and external factors.

How does advertising influence binge drinking and recreational drug use?

Advertising makes these behaviours seem normal, exciting, or socially acceptable by associating them with fun, popularity, and relaxation, while downplaying risks such as addiction and impaired judgment.

What are the primary physical, psychological, and legal consequences of unsafe road behaviour?

Consequences include fatalities, serious physical trauma or long-term disability (TBI, spinal damage), psychological trauma (PTSD, anxiety, grief), and legal penalties (fines, license suspension, demerit points, and imprisonment).

What risk-taking behaviours can occur in the context of alcohol and drug use at parties?

Substance misuse (mixing substances, tainted drugs), driving or walking while intoxicated near traffic or train tracks, physical altercations, and personal or sexual risks (such as unprotected sex leading to STIs or unplanned pregnancies).

What strategies can an individual use to prevent harms from risk-taking behaviour?

Assessing risks before acting, making informed decisions to choose safer alternatives, planning ahead (arranging safe transport, having an exit plan), and resisting peer pressure.

What strategies help make a party safer?

Keeping the guest list small, managing the alcohol supply instead of relying on BYO, securing the perimeter (locking bedrooms and putting away valuables), arranging safe transport, knowing emergency signs, and enforcing zero tolerance for violence.

What are the primary modes of HIV/AIDS transmission?

Unprotected sexual contact (vaginal, anal, or oral), sharing injection drug equipment, perinatal transmission (during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), and contaminated blood transfusions or medical procedures.

What is sexuality, and what factors influence it?

Sexuality is a broad part of human identity including how people experience, express, and derive pleasure through sexual feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. It is influenced biologically, psychologically, by family/upbringing, culture/religion/societal norms, and legal/political frameworks.

What is sexual harassment, and how does intent factor into it?

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature that makes a person feel offended, humiliated, or intimidated. Intent does not matter; it qualifies as sexual harassment regardless of whether the person meant to cause it.

What are the four forms of sexual harassment?

Verbal (suggestive jokes, intrusive questions), physical (unwanted touching, hugging, cornering), visual or written (explicit images, sexual texts/posts), and gestures or staring (leering, sexual gestures, indecent exposure).

What are examples of rights and responsibilities in relationships?

Rights include feeling safe, being treated with respect, being treated as an equal, saying no, and setting boundaries. Responsibilities include treating your partner with respect, communicating clearly, respecting boundaries, taking accountability, and listening actively.

What is the difference between a positive and a negative use of power?

Positive use of power uses influence or resources to help others, build people up, and create fairness (e.g., making mutual decisions). Negative use of power uses dominance to manipulate, coerce, or exploit others (e.g., controlling decisions and refusing to let others have a say).

What strategies can a person use to avoid being in an abusive relationship?

Recognise warning signs (control, jealousy, manipulation), set clear boundaries, seek advice and support from trusted people, and trust personal instincts when feeling unsafe or pressured.

What is the difference between direct and indirect discrimination?

Direct discrimination occurs when a person is explicitly treated worse because of a protected personal characteristic. Indirect discrimination occurs when a seemingly neutral policy applies equally to all but unfairly disadvantages a protected group without being reasonable.

What are the short-term cognitive effects of cannabis on the body?

Short-term effects include distorted time perception, euphoria, relaxation, impaired memory, overloaded working memory, reduced attention span, slowed processing speed, and impaired executive functioning.

What are the long-term health risks associated with chronic cannabis use?

Long-term risks include chronic respiratory issues and lung damage (if smoked), structural brain changes leading to cognitive decline, persistent memory and executive function deficits, dependency risk, and increased psychiatric risks.