Discuss kids' attitudes towards drinking and solve clues to identify different drugs.

Learning aims

• Critically evaluate young peoples' comments.

• Match drug effects with their names.

Young peoples' attitudes to drinking
Read out the following comments submitted to the CBBC Newsround website. Do students agree with the opinions expressed?

[A] Getting 'wasted' every week is stupid, but having a drink when you're out with friends or at a party is fine. In 'Western' culture, alcohol is a social device, which is what teenagers mainly use it for. The legal limit for alcohol should be lowered to 16, by that age you should be mature enough to drink responsibly and not be stupid.
Sean, 16, Belfast

[B] Young people know the risks but give in to drink for individual reasons; some are bored, for others it's peer pressure, others want to rebel to get attention. The same goes for drugs and crime committing.
Sally, 14, Deeping

[C] Teenagers are going to do what they want to do. I don't drink but I know many people who do. Most people I know do it when they're with a group of friends and they can't find anything better to do. There should be safe, fun places where youth can hang out all night.
Rashida, 17, San Francisco

[D] I think you're all stupid. I've been so drunk that I've been sick everywhere! Yet I keep on doing it because it's FUN!
Anonymous, 13, Doncaster

Ask the class:
• Why might teenagers who drink heavily get more involved in crime?

• What can be done to help young people drink responsibly?

• Why do young people binge drink more than experienced drinkers?

• Why is alcohol more socially acceptable than other drugs?