PREVENTION OF

SUBSTANCE USE AND

ABUSE
GATEWAY DRUGS:
Cigarette and Alcohol
GATEWAY DRUGS
•Gateway drugs are drugs (as alcohol or
marijuana) whose use is thought to lead to
the use of and dependence on a harder drug
(as cocaine or heroin).
•First used in the year 1982
GATEWAY DRUG THEORY
•The term gateway drugs is used to explain a theory that
hypothesizes that the use of certain drugs may lead to
an increased risk in the use of other drugs and
involvement in criminal behavior.
•Typically gateway drugs are defined as alcohol,
cannabis (marijuana) or cigarettes which are
inexpensive and readily available.
•The theory states that, once someone
begins to use marijuana, drinks alcohol or
smokes cigarettes, they will have opened
the door to using other drugs.
•What the theory fails to take into
consideration is the influence of other
factors, such as the environment, trauma or
mental illness.
DRUG USE CORRELATION
•Statistics show that drug or alcohol addicts typically
would have used other drugs along with their drug of
choice.

•Most recovering drug and alcohol addicts have

experimented with marijuana, smoked cigarettes, drank
alcohol or used prescription medications to enhance the
experience of drug taking.
CONTROVERSY
•Studies suggest that there is a link between the use of softer
drugs (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana) and the future use of
harder drugs (cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, heroin).
However, this theory is still controversial.
•Questions around the influence of the drug dealers who may be
the ones suggesting other drugs, rather than being themselves
asked for new drugs.
•The major criticisms that are raised include
questions about some individuals who suffer
from conditions such as depression,
antisocial personality disorder or bipolar
who engage in drug seeking behavior, no
matter what the substance, and will take
whatever is available.
CIGARETTES
 • A cigarette is a small cylinder of finely
CIGARETTES cut tobacco leaves rolled in thin paper
for smoking.
• The cigarette is ignited at one end and
allowed to smoulder; its smoke
is inhaled from the other end, which is
held in or to the mouth; in some cases,
a cigarette holder may be used, as well.
• Most modern manufactured cigarettes
are filtered and also include reconstituted
tobacco and other additives.
•The term cigarette, as •A cigarette is distinguished
commonly used, refers to a from a cigar by its smaller size,
tobacco cigarette, but can use of processed leaf, and
apply to similar devices paper wrapping, which is
containing other normally white, though other
substances, such colors and flavors are also
as cloves or cannabis. available.
•Cigars are typically composed
entirely of whole-leaf tobacco
WHAT DOES IT DO TO US?
• Cigarettes carry serious health risks,
which are more prevalent than with
other tobacco products. Nicotine,
the primary psychoactive chemical
in tobacco and therefore cigarettes,
is very addictive.
• About half of cigarette smokers die
of tobacco- related disease and lose
on average 14 years of life.
 WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE PEOPLE
AROUND US?
• Cigarette use by pregnant women has
also been shown to cause birth defects,
including low birth weight, fetal
abnormalities, and premature birth.
• Second-hand smoke from cigarettes
has been shown to be injurious to
bystanders, which has led to legislation
that has prohibited smoking in many
workplaces and public areas.
^_^
Given the sheet of
paper from your GROUP
WORK
teacher, Cite down
different ways to
help a chain
smoker stop

:D
smoking.