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Alcohol, other drugs and sex

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Facts

Rites of passage events

  • School balls, leavers week and graduation are often the highlights of secondary school years. Some young people see these events as rite of passage events that lead into sex, alcohol and other drugs.
  • For more information about Leavers Week go to the official website - Leavers WA.

Trends at rites of passage events

  • Binge drinking is common especially among females 
  • Parents buying alcohol for children
  • Mixing of caffeine drinks/tablets with alcohol. Some leavers think their drink has been spiked, but it is the combination of caffeine and alcohol that produces these effects.

Drink spiking

  • Spiking a drink means that alcohol or another drug has been added to it. It is becoming more common, and can affect anyone. Drink spiking can lead to sexual assault, robbery or may even be done as a practical joke.
  • A lot of people don’t realise that adding alcohol, or more alcohol, to a drink counts as drink spiking. This can be done by doubling or tripling the amount of alcohol or offering the person more alcoholic drinks.

Some physical symptoms of drink spiking

  • Dizziness, feeling light-headed
  • Confusion, loss of consciousness
  • Rowdy behaviour, loss of self-control
  • Blackouts with memory loss.

Tips to prevent drink spiking

  • Only accept drinks from people you know and trust
  • Be suspicious if someone buys you a different drink to what you asked for
  • Always keep your drink with you
  • If you lose sight of your drink, don’t drink from it again
  • Never share drinks with anyone
  • Don’t be too quick to trust someone you don’t know
  • If you feel dizzy or light-headed, get to a safe place with people you know and trust.

Polydrug use

  • Mixing drugs or using more than one drug at the same time or in the same occasion is called polydrug use.
  • Polydrug use increases the chance of overdose as there is a greater likelihood of a person's heart rate, blood pressure, or body temperature being affected. Polydrug use can also lead to a greater chance of mental or emotional response such as paranoia, anxiety or psychosis. This is especially true if the contents in a drug are unknown, or its strength is unknown, when mixed with another drug. Mixing over-the-counter or prescription drugs with each other or with illicit drugs or alcohol also increases the risk of overdose.

Examples of risks associated with polydrug use

  • Amphetamines and ecstasy can result in severe dehydration, high body temperatures, heart seizures and even death
  • Mixing alcohol and amphetamines can cause dangerous amounts of both drugs being consumed; the full effects of both drugs can not be felt as they cover each other up
  • Combining alcohol and heroin can fatally slow down the heart rate and breathing.

Tips for youth on resisting peer pressure

  • Know that it’s ok to say ‘no’ – this can seem hard at first but if you tell your friends in a calm and assertive way that you don’t want to take a drug, they will probably be able to respect that.
  • Be careful not to judge others – if you respect and accept your friend’s choices they are more likely to respond in the same way to yours. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with their choices, it just means you are respecting their decision. If you are concerned they are making bad choices it's okay to tell them and talk about why, just try not to be judgmental.   
  • Help someone else who is being pressured – if you are comfortable to support someone else, they may return the favour. Even if they don’t, others around you will see that you are able to make your own choices and be less likely to pressure you in the future. 
  • Change your peer group – if you don’t feel comfortable with the activities of those you are hanging around with, you could avoid them and find some new friends. Or there may be a few friends within your group that you feel more comfortable with that you can spend more time with. 
  • Hang out with people who like to do similar things – this means you are likely to want to do what the others are doing. You can consider making some suggestions for other things to do that don’t focus on taking drugs.  
  • Keep in mind some of the risk taking behaviours that may occur with using alcohol and other drugs:
    1. Unsafe sex: decisions about practising safe sex are more difficult to make when under the influence. If you think there is a chance you might have sex, ensure you have protection. Otherwise, have a clear idea of how you will say no if you don’t want to.
    2. Driving intoxicated: Appoint a designated driver before you leave or make sure you have enough money to get home - Remember, never drive after drinking or get in a car with a driver who has been drinking or taking drugs. 
    3. Swimming: Drugs and alcohol impair your judgement and sense of balance which can lead to drowning. It is safest to not swim at all when affected by even a small amount of drugs or alcohol.
    4. Fighting: Alcohol and other drugs reduce your inhibitions and impair your judgement and can lead to negative situations escalating.
    5. Antisocial behaviour: The likelihood of involvement in antisocial behaviours such as property damage, graffiti and disorderly conduct is increased when intoxicated.

Key messages for youth

If you are going to take alcohol and/or other drugs keep these tips in mind to help minimise risks:

  • Look out for your mates - Always look out for your mates and encourage them to do the same for you. Try to stay with the group and make sure others don’t stray. If you need to leave your friends let them know where you are going.
  • Be aware of your alcohol and drug use - Consider your intake of alcohol and/or other drugs. If you have been drinking for a while, slow down your intake and space drinks out with non alcoholic beverages. Mixing drugs is a major reason for alcohol and drug related emergencies and overdoses. If you are out or at a party be sure to hold onto your drink and be aware of drink spiking.
  • Rest, rehydrate and cool down - Take breaks to rest if you are dancing to prevent overheating. Make sure you drink sufficient water. If taking stimulant drugs (such as speed or ecstasy) and dancing, you will be losing water through sweating. Energy drinks and alcohol will cause more water loss through urine so remember to drink water. Signs you are becoming dehydrated are thirst, dry mouth and flushed skin. A guide  for water intake is 500mls per hour (2 cups) if active (dancing) and 250mls per hour (1 cup) if inactive. If you are becoming dehydrated go to a well ventilated area, remove excess clothing, especially hats as they trap body heat, splash water on your skin and drink water slowly.  Similarly, it’s important to be warm enough. If you don’t feel well and are cold put on another layer of clothing or go to a space that is warmer. 
  • Know how to respond if something goes wrong - If you start to feel unwell, tell someone and let them know what you have taken. If someone else starts to feel unwell, treat the situation seriously and stay with them. Find out what they have taken so you can let ambulance officers know if you have to call them to assist. If someone passes out do not leave them to ‘sleep it off’. Check on them regularly; if you cannot wake them then they are unconscious and may overdose. This is an emergency and ambulance assistance is needed ASAP (this is an in text link to ‘what to do in an emergency’).  DO NOT hesitate to call an ambulance. Police do not routinely attend drug overdoses so don’t let concerns about police stop you making the call. Remember: staying calm and calling an ambulance can save a life. 
  • Getting home safely 
    1. Plan how you're going to get home. Don't rely on people you've just met or on anyone who's been drinking alcohol or using other drugs for a lift home.
    2. Never get in a car if the driver has been drinking or taking drugs. 
    3. If you took your own car and ended up using alcohol or other drugs, leave your car where it is and find a safe way home with friends or in a taxi.
    4. If you get stuck you can always call a sober friend or even a parent - they may be annoyed but they will be more upset if you don’t get home safely.
  • Drug overdose - There are a number of signs and symptoms that point out someone is in trouble. These differ with the type of drug used. It is not necessary for someone to have all of the below signs or symptoms for them to be overdosing. Only a few could still mean they are in trouble and need emergency help.

Signs and symptoms

Stimulant drugs
•    Increased breathing or a feeling that you ‘can’t breathe’
•    Difficulty passing urine
•    Shaking / trembling
•    Severe headache
•    Vomiting
•    Paranoid, agitated, irritable or anxious behaviour
•    Convulsions

Depressant drugs
•    Shallow pulse and breathing
•    Blue lips, fingernails / toenails
•    Snoring or gurgling
•    No response
•    Unconsciousness

What to do in an emergency

  • If someone becomes unwell or collapses it is very important to treat it as an emergency and get help immediately. 
  • Call an ambulance immediately (dial 000 from anywhere in Australia).
  • Remain calm and speak clearly. Let them know the state you are calling from and the location, including the street name and nearest intersection if you know this. Tell them what you think has happened. They may ask you to tell them what the person has taken and how much as well as what you have done before making the call. The operator will tell you what to do next.
  • Don’t wait for things to get better or for the drug to wear off. If a person is unwell they need help ASAP and getting help can save a life. If you are worried that you will get yourself or the person into trouble, don’t forget that you are helping and later people will be thankful that you did.  REMEMBER: The ambulance officers are only interested in helping and police will not be contacted unless the ambulance officers feel threatened or if there is a death.

What NOT to do in an emergency

  • DON’T hesitate to call an ambulance in the hope that things will get better, every second counts
  • DON’T put the person in a bath, pool or throw water on them as they could go into shock, choke or drown
  • DON’T give them anything to drink if they are unconscious as this could cause them to choke or vomit. If a person has vomited there is a risk they may inhale vomit.

While you wait for the ambulance, if the person is conscious/responding

  • Take the person to a safe place where they are out of harms way
  • Provide them water to sip slowly
  • Stay calm
  • Reassure them that what is happening will pass. It's important to try to keep the person relaxed and calm
  • If the person is unconscious/not responding follow the St John Ambulance DRABCD Action Plan (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation).

When the ambulance officers arrive

  • Tell them what you think has happened
  • Tell them what you think the person may have taken
  • Explain anything that you have done
  • Before they leave ask them which hospital they are taking the person to so you can let others know.

When the ambulance leaves

  • Think about who might need to be called and who should make these calls
  • Plan a way to get home or to the hospital safely
  • Recognise that you have been dealing with a crisis.  Witnessing and responding to an overdose can be very stressful. It’s not unusual to feel shocked or upset. Don’t be afraid to seek support now or anytime in the future from friends, family or a professional.

Adapted from:

Drug and Alcohol Office Website (2010). Electronically retrieved from http://www.dao.health.wa.gov.au/.

Links

 

Related GDHR learning activities

Early Childhood (years K-3)

 

Middle Childhood (years 4-7)

 

Early Adolescence (years 8-10)

 

Other lesson plans

            Early to Late Adolescence