Alcohol
Alcohol is a drug.
TRUE. A drug is any substance, other than food, that is taken to change the way the body or mind functions. Drugs can occur naturally or can be produced in a lab
Smoking marijuana interferes with your sense of time and distance.
TRUE. Judging distance and passage of time is difficult under the influence of marijuana. People under the influence frequently misjudge the speed at which they are driving, and the amount of time required for braking.
Smoking causes 80%-90% of all lung cancers.
TRUE. Researchers estimate that 80%-90% of all lung cancer is smoking-related.
Playing pool with friends for money isn't really gambling.
FALSE. This is gambling. Gambling is defined as "the act of risking money, property or something of value on an activity with an uncertain outcome."
Protective factors decrease kids' chances of becoming harmfully involved with substance use and gambling.
TRUE. Examples of protective factors include developing good social and resiliency skills, participating in productive activities, feeling connected to school, and having friends who positively influence decision-making.
Alcohol is a depressant.
TRUE. Alcohol slows down the brain centres that control behaviour.
Marijuana is grown naturally, therefore, it is less harmful than cigarettes.
FALSE. An average cigarette has over 400 chemicals in it; most of those same chemicals are present in marijuana.
Tobacco smoke contains tar.
TRUE. Tar consists of solid particles from cigarette smoke. It interferes with normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs, and contributes to shortness of breath.
Some features in gambling devices can help contribute to a person's problem.
TRUE. For example, the most powerful and long-lasting learning pattern occurs when a behaviour is reinforced intermittently and unpredictably. Patterns of intermittent winning may lead to irrational beliefs about gambling and winning. Slot machines and VLTs pay out on an intermittent reinforcement schedule.
Risk factors increase kids' chances of harmful involvement with substances or gambling.
TRUE. Other examples of risk factors are early involvement with alcohol, tobacco, other drugs or gambling, a history of substance abuse in the family, family conflict, poor school connection and low level of social and resiliency skills.
When a person stops drinking suddenly after drinking heavily for a period of time, they can get sick.
TRUE. Physical dependence occurs when the body gets used to having alcohol in the system. Withdrawal symptoms (sickness) may happen if drinking is suddenly stopped.
Most grade seven students have tried marijuana in Alberta.
FALSE. More than 95% of Alberta grade 7 students reported never trying marijuana.
Smoking light cigarettes decreases your risk of heart disease compared with smoking regular cigarettes.
FALSE. Some evidence indicates that light cigarettes contain more tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide than manufacturers claim. Smoking light cigarettes is unlikely to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Government revenue from gambling in Alberta is over $1 billion annually.
TRUE. The Alberta government collects a portion of the proceeds from VLTs, ticket lotteries, and casinos and it generates a great deal of money.
Schools can make a valuable difference in preventing substance use and gambling problems.
TRUE. Research shows that participation in extracurricular activities, positive relationships between youth and adults in the school setting, and high social and academic expectations are critical factors in preventing substance use and gambling problems.
If you drink only beer, you won't develop a drinking problem.
FALSE. The form of alcohol makes no difference. The effect of the pure alcohol contained in all alcoholic beverages is the same.
Short-term memory loss, laziness and feeling tired all the time are side effects of using marijuana.
TRUE. Mood swings, poor concentration and lung damage are also side effects.
There are more smokers than non-smokers.
FALSE. More than 80% of individuals over the age of 15 do not smoke.
Computers keep track of every game played on licensed VLTs.
TRUE. If there is a complaint by a customer, the computer centre can print out each selection made by the player for the entire game.
TRUE. As people grow older, bottled up feelings will continue to cause pain. Some people try to relieve the pain through substance use or gambling.
Only people who drink every day can become alcohol dependent.
FALSE. Anyone who drinks can become addicted to alcohol.
Marijuana is not addictive.
FALSE. It can be psychologically addictive and may also have mild physical symptoms of addiction.
Vaping is a better alternative to smoking because it is less harmful and is not addictive.
FALSE. Smoking e-cigarettes is just as addiction causing as regular cigarettes. Vaping has been found to cause damage to heart and lungs and has caused many people to experience lung injury which, in some cases, has led to death.
When a flipped coin comes up heads four times in a row, the next flip will more likely come up tails than heads.
FALSE. There is no relationship between previous outcomes and the next flip of the coin. the coin is just as likely to come up heads as it is to come up tails (50-50 chance). Gamblers often feel they have some control over the outcome, even when they don't.
It is helpful for an adult to tell a youth how to replace feelings of sadness with feelings of happiness.
FALSE. A young person (and adults too) need to know that all feelings are okay and that talking honestly about feelings can be helpful. All people feel sad, confused or vulnerable at times. Adults can show they care by empathizing, listening, and offering compassion.