Medicines and Drugs: What’s Helpful, What’s Harmful (Module 4)

Background

When we refer to "drugs" during this module, we divide them into two categories, helpful medicines and harmful drugs. These categories are based on the effect they have on the body. Medicines are helpful only when they are given at the right times in the right amounts by people who care about children - parents, doctors, dentists, and other caregivers. In this module, drugs classified as medicines include the following: aspirin or Tylenol, antibiotics, fluoride, and immunizations. With medicines, however, it is extremely important to follow the dosage prescribed by the health care provider. Taking too much medicine or not enough can be dangerous.

Some drugs may be helpful or harmful. Caffeine is one example. Although caffeine itself isn't a drug, it is an ingredient found in some medications. Caffeine in all forms should be used in moderation. Too much of these substances can make people feel uncomfortable and even sick. Nicotine is another substance that may fit into both categories. Nicotine itself is not harmful in the doses found in cigarettes, but it does produce addiction. This is a negative effect because addiction to nicotine causes people to use tobacco products, which can cause severe health problems with prolonged use. But nicotine is found in very small amounts in some medicines. Finally, some drugs have a harmful effect. These include alcohol and illegal drugs such as cocaine and marijuana.

Using the fact sheets at the back of this guide, students work either in small groups or as a class to identify drugs from riddles. After children guess the name of the substance, ask them whether they think its effect is helpful or harmful. Questions like these will help students better understand whether it is appropriate to take certain substances and, if so, how much is acceptable. They also will consider whether some substances are not good for them at all.

During the discussion portion of the module, you have the option of giving the students a second riddle, which explains how each drug affects the body. The trading cards reinforce the information in both riddles and are an effective way to convey complex, unfamiliar information.