A Dangerous Mix.

• Position: HEADS UP: REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY

Many teens regularly take medications and over-the-counter drugs. But they may not know that mixing substances can cause unexpected and potentially dangerous effects. Those risks are even greater when alcohol and illicit drugs are involved. By sharing the student article "A Dangerous Mix," teaching the lesson, and handing out the activity sheet, you will help students be smart about medicine safety.

Critical-Thinking Questions

1 What is an active ingredient? Where can they be found? Give an example of an active ingredient. (An active ingredient, also known as an active chemical, is a substance that has an effect on the brain or body such as causing alertness or slowing breathing. Active chemicals can be found in drugs and alcohol, over-the-counter and prescriptions medications, and even natural substances like food, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Examples may include caffeine, decongestants, stimulants in ADHD medications, etc.)

2 Explain why it is important to check the ingredients in any over-the-counter medications before taking them. (Answers may include that many over-the-counter medications contain the same active ingredients. Mixing these medications together may cause you to ingest too large of a dose of a chemical, which may be harmful to your body. Mixing medications can also amplify their effects, which may cause dangerous bodily reactions.)

3 Why might someone who mixes alcohol with an illicit drug end up in the emergency room? Use evidence to support your answer. (Alcohol often magnifies the effects of a drug on the body. Depending on the drug, this can cause dangerous complications that may impair a person's breathing, such as with sedatives or opioids, or dangerously increase a person's heart rate, such as with stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine.)

Writing Prompts

Grades 6-8 Why is it important to tell your doctor about any vitamins or herbal supplements you are taking?

Grades 9-10 Describe at least two ways that the effect of a medication may change if it is mixed with another substance. Give examples of each.

Grades 11-12 Explain why mixing drugs such as opioids can increase risk of death.

Paired Reading

"Non-Addictive Drugs: Are They Always Safe?" (teens.drugabuse .gov/blog/post/non-addictive-drugsare-they-always-safe) This paired text describes why even over-the-counter medications should be used with caution.

Writing Prompt Explain why it is important to follow the directions on an over-the-counter medication...