Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a activity that encourages awareness and open discussion.

Concepts

addiction, drug addiction, drug abuse, drugs, prescription drugs, opioids, coping skills, genes, genetics, the brain

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Additional Tags

health

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Instructional Ideas

• Use as a cross-curricular assignment between health, language arts, science, and social studies
• Have volunteers conduct additional research with the included links
• Prompt class members to write an argument about whether they believe nature or nurture has more to do with drug addiction based on personal experience and what they have learned

Classroom Considerations

• Note the resource's caution about the potentially problematic nature of the family interview assignment
• Designed for discussion of painkiller and opioid abuse, but applicable to any substance
• The fourth of eight lessons in a unit on painkiller addiction

Pros

• Opens a line of communication both in class and at home
• Clearly outlines risk factors for drug addiction that would be beneficial for learners to know before they are confronted with the opportunity

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.1.a SL.6.2 SL.7.1.a SL.7.2 SL.8.1.a SL.8.2 SL.9-10.1.a SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.1.a SL.11-12.2