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 be produced in a lab.
Smoking cannabis interferes with your sense of time and distance.
True. Judging distance and passage of time is difficult under the influence of cannabis. This makes it very dangerous to drive after smoking.
Smoking causes 80-90% of all lung cancers.
Play pool with friends for money isn't real gambling.
False. 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 harmful involvement with substance use or gambling.
True. Examples of these protective factors are developing good social skills, participating in productive activities, feeling connected to school and having friends who positively influence decision-making.
Alcohol is a depressant.
True. Alcohol depresses the brain centres that control behaviour.
Smoking cannabis is less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
False. Similar to tobacco, smoking cannabis can damage your lungs and second-hand cannabis smoke can be just as harmful as tobacco.
Tobacco contains tar.
True. Tar consists of solid particles from cigarette smoke. It interferes with the normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs and contributes to shortness of breath.
Some features in gambling devices (like slot machines) are designed to contribute to the development of a problem.
True. The most powerful and long-lasting learning pattern occurs when behaviour is reinforced intermittently and unpredictably. Patterns of intermittent winning may lead to irrational beliefs about gambling and winning.
Risk factors increase kids' chances of harmful involvement with substance use or gambling.
True. Examples of risk factors are early involvement with alcohol, tobacco, other drugs or gambling, a history of use problems in the family, family conflict and poor school connections.
When a person stops drinking suddenly after drinking heavily, 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.
The majority of Alberta youth in grades 7-9 have tried cannabis.
False. Over 90% of Alberta students in grades 7-9 have never tried cannabis.
Most Alberta students in grades 7-12 have tried smoking cigarettes.
False. 80% of Alberta students in grades 7-12 have never tried smoking cigarettes.
Some video games designed for youth contain elements that are similar to gambling.
True. Some video games are designed to be similar to casino games, motivating players to continue playing by offering frequent rewards and the chance to gamble using virtual or real money, or the acquiring of skills.
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 cannot develop a drinking problem.
False. The form of alcohol makes no difference. The effect of the pure alcohol contained in all alcoholic beverages in the same.
Cannabis is not addictive.
False. Regular use of cannabis at an early age increases your risk of becoming dependent on it.
Electronic smoking products (aka vapes) are a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.
False. Vaping can lead to a nicotine addiction, lung problems and risk of injury from battery malfunction. Many long-term effects of vaping are also still unknown at this time.
More males have serious issues with gambling than females.
True. The situation here is similar to alcoholism and most other substance abuse disorders. We still don’t know precisely why this is the case. However, it’s likely that in most cultures, men are “driven” towards substance abuse (and gambling) as a way to cope with psychological issues whereas women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with various disorders related to depression and anxiety.
Young people may turn to substance use or gambling when they cannot express their feelings in a healthy way.
True. As people grow older, bottled up feelings will continue to cause pain. Some people try to relieve the pain through substance use and gambling.
Only people who drink every day can become dependent on alcohol.
False. Anyone who drinks can become dependent on alcohol.
Cannabis use can cause mental illnesses.
True. There is a lot of reliable evidence showing that using cannabis can increase the risk of later developing a psychotic illness, including schizophrenia.
Tobacco smoke contains approximately 7000 chemicals.
True. Nearly 70 of these chemicals are cancer-causing agents called carcinogens.
When a flipped coin comes up heads 4 times in a row, the next flip will more likely come up tails than heads.
It is helpful for an adult to tell a teen how to replace feelings of sadness with feelings of happiness.