Substance Use And Gambling: Pros And Cons

Suggested time
30 minutes

Objectives

• Students will understand that there are both positive and negative consequences to using drugs, including alcohol, and gambling.
• Students will explore the balance of positive and negative effects of drugs and gambling in their lives.

The use of alcohol, other drugs, and gambling can have an impact on many areas of our lives. Our physical health, leisure activities, relationships with others, emotional health, employment, finances, education, and our spiritual well-being can all be affected. For some people, the use of alcohol, other drugs, or gambling results in more positive effects than negative effects. For example, they may feel relaxed, have more fun at parties, or feel more creative. However, as people increase their use, the likelihood of negative effects increases. They may begin to feel depressed, experience problems concentrating, lose friends, or start making poor decisions like drinking and driving.

Some people say that using drugs or betting is harmless; others will say that nothing good can come from betting or using substances. It is important to understand that using drugs or gambling can have both positive and negative consequences. We wouldn’t continue to do something if it didn’t have some kind of reward. People make choices about their use based on their views of the balance between the positive and negative consequences. Refer to the balance beam handout to help illustrate this concept. Most people stay at #1, a few move on to #2, while even fewer move to #3.

As someone’s use of alcohol, other drugs, or gambling increases in frequency and duration, it is likely that they will start to have more negative consequences in the following areas of their lives: physical health, emotional health, school or employment, leisure, relationships, finances, and spiritual. When we examine a person’s use of substances or gambling, these are the areas we look at. If their use of alcohol, other drugs, or gambling is having a negative impact on one or more of these areas, their use is considered problematic.

Activity

Balloon Frantic

Students are each given a balloon on which they must write a word, and black felt markers to write it with. This word represents something that has a lot of meaning to the person, e.g. their family, friends, sports, money, etc. Ask them to be very specific about what is important to them.

The students are invited to share their word with the group.

Next the students are asked to keep those balloons aloft, never allowing them to touch the ground. They may keep them aloft by hitting them with their hands, heads, knees, etc. After they have done this for awhile, ask them to hold the balloon and discuss how hard it was to keep something so important to them up. It takes a lot of work to keep the things that are important from falling. Now, ask them to try to keep the balloons aloft without using their hands. This is what it is like to use drugs or gamble and not have all your abilities or senses available to keep these important things up.

Debrief

• Was it frustrating trying to keep the balloon in the air?
• How did it feel when you dropped the balloon?
• Did you need help from other people to keep the balloon in the air?
• Would others have been able to help you if they weren’t able to use their hands either?
• Why do you think people make the choice to start using drugs or gambling?
• What other choices could they make instead of using drugs or gambling?