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NJPEP Home > Standards > Comprehensive Health and Physical Education (Revised)

STANDARD 2.3 (DRUGS AND MEDICINES) by Grade 6

Strands with Cumulative Progress Indicators

A. Medicines

  1. Discuss factors to consider when choosing an over-the-counter medicine.
  2. Discuss medicines used to treat common diseases and health conditions.
  3. Discuss the safe administration and storage of over-the-counter and prescription medicines.
  4. Describe factors that impact the effectiveness of a medicine.

B. Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

  1. Describe how tobacco use contributes to the incidence of respiratory diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
  2. Describe ways to reduce the health impact of tobacco smoke on non-smokers.
  3. Describe how the use and abuse of alcohol impacts behavior and contributes to the incidence of illness and injuries.
  4. Discuss the short- and long-term physical and behavioral effects of inhalant use, including brain, heart, and lung damage and death.
  5. Discuss the classifications of illegal drugs and controlled substances and give examples of each.
  6. Describe the physical and behavioral effects of each classification of drugs.
  7. Discuss the relationship between injected drug use and diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
  8. Discuss the legal and financial consequences of the use, sale, and possession of illegal substances.

C. Dependency/Addiction and Treatment

  1. Describe the signs and symptoms of a substance abuse problem and the stages that lead to dependency/addiction.
  2. Identify ways to quit using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and discuss factors that support an individual to quit.
  3. Discuss factors that contribute to the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by adolescents, such as advertising and the media, group pressures, low self-esteem, genetics, and poor role models.
  4. Describe how substance abuse affects the individual and the family and describe ways that family and friends can support a drug-free lifestyle.