From teens to adults, a large number of people continue to make the decision to start smoking despite the health risks. Whether it be a cigarette, a vape pen, or a hookah, all of these have been proven to contain the plant Tobacco, which consists of the drug Nicotine. All throughout 5th grade to high school, I have been surrounded by students who engage in smoking. They often teach us that smoking in general is bad for the lungs and that you can become addicted, however they do not actually sit there and explain why you become addicted or how it affects your body. As future educators, it is very crucial that we inform the youth on this harmful drug and on how it affects their health. Students will definitely benefit from resources, health programs and/or lessons that teach them about drugs like nicotine.
Mind Matters Lesson Plan (click picture for pdf link)
Mind matters: Nicotine, tobacco, and vaping. (n.d.). https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/NIDA_MindMatters_508_Nicotine_2022.pdfhttps://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/NIDA_MindMatters_508_Nicotine_2022.pdf
The “Mind Matters: The Body’s Response to Nicotine, Tobacco and Vaping” is a great example of a lesson plan that can be created to inform students on this drug. This lesson primarily focuses on nicotine and how it affects the body. It explains what nicotine is, the health effects, and emphasizes how/why you become addicted to it. It goes into detail explaining how over time the way your brain functions changes, and so when you try to quit the body gets confused and you begin to feel sick. The lesson plan also provides information on the different types of vaping devices in addition to the way these vape device’s function. It clearly explains how the vaping device heats up when you puff it, the heat then turns the liquid into a vapor that the person inhales. To end the presentation, the lesson plan provides insight on how to help someone struggling with nicotine addiction.
The Strengths and Weaknesses
The lesson plan provides basic information needed to inform anyone on nicotine. I like how it provides prior knowledge on nicotine before going into the effects of the drug. For example, the lesson plan first mentions how nicotine can be used by smoking it, sniffing it, chewing it and/or inhaling it. Then right after it provides examples of how cigarettes, vaping devices and hookahs are used for nicotine. After establishing the basics, the lesson plan goes straight into how the drug causes harm to a person. It emphasizes how it can increase blood pressure, breathing and your heart rate. Most importantly, I loved how the lesson plan covered how you become addicted to the drug. I strongly believe that this portion will draw a lot of children away from ever picking up a tobacco/nicotine device.
A weakness that I found while reading the lesson plan was the number of resources provided on how to help others who are suffering with nicotine addiction. The lesson plan focuses on how students can effectively communicate with the person but does provide any links to resources for seeking help or the different treatment plans to help them combat the addiction. I also think that the lesson plan could have touched more on why vaping is not recommended to overcome an addiction to smoking. Many think it is okay to vape because they think it is less harmful than smoking, however you are still taking nicotine, it is just on another device.
Suggestions
If I were to implement this lesson plan in my future classroom, I would suggest Including some activities/group work so the students can share their ideas with one another and learn something from their peers when it comes to this topic. I would definitely include some discussion questions or verbally ask questions that will have the students thinking deeply about how terrible the drug is. I would also include statistics on how many people become addicted to nicotine and the side effects people developed in regards to emotional health. I always hear from vape users how vaping helps them control their anxiety, however studies show that it is in fact making their anxiety worse.
Overall, having conversations about drugs in general are very much needed. People often start smoking at a young age and find themself trapped by nicotine. Educators should provide a few lessons on the topic of drugs to ensure the youth know the dangers of taking them. By teaching about the dangers it has on the body, students will then be informed before they are even exposed to it. It will definitely prevent many from falling for tobacco.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, June 13). Mind matters: The body’s response to nicotine, tobacco and vaping. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/parents-educators/lesson-plans/mind-matters/nicotine-tobacco-vaping