Upper-Intermediate |
Drug Policy

  1. In most cases, death from ecstasy use is caused by the body overheating and dehydration.
  2. Drinking black coffee does not help a person sober up.
  3. Breathing in cannabis for longer will result in more cannabis getting to the brain.
  4. If a woman drinks the same amount of alcohol as a man it will have the same effect.
  5. Sleep helps the body eliminate alcohol more quickly
  6. Long term, alcohol reduces both virility and fertility in men and woman
  7. Ketamine is a stimulant drug.
  8. Half a pint of lager or one glass of wine equals one unit of alcohol
  9. A significant number of young people have unprotected sex whilst under the influence of alcohol.
  10. Alcohol is a stimulant drug.
  11. A pregnant woman who drinks is putting the health of her baby at risk.
  12. Legal highs are legal because they are safe.

Warm-up | True or False

"All drugs should be legalised".

Reading and Speaking | Debate Topic

  1. Some people think...
  2. Some people are concerned that...
  3. It has been described as...
  4. Experts believe...
  5. ... argues that...
  6. ... seems to suggest that...
  7. One view is that...
  8. The main reasons for... are...
  9. Overall, ...

Alternatives to 'Think' (Reporting verbs)

  • argue, claim, emphasise, contend, maintain, assert, theorize, support the view that, deny, negate, refute, reject, challenge, strongly believe that, counter the view/argument that, etc.
  • suggest, speculate, hypothesise, imply, propose, recommend, question the view that, postulate, etc.
  • describe, show, reveal, study, demonstate, note, point out, indicate, report, observe, assume, take into consideration, believe, mention, etc.

Writing | Useful Language

Vocabulary Definition
Substances a) A written order from a doctor for a specific medication
Stimulants b) A strong dependence on a substance or behavior
Hallucinogens c) The process of removing harmful substances from the body
Addiction d) The process of recovering from drug addiction and learning to live without drugs
Withdrawal e) Any kind of material, element, or compound that has a distinct chemical composition and physical properties.
Overdose f) A class of drugs that increase energy and alertness
Rehabilitation g) A planned effort to address drug use and help the person seek treatment
Prescription h) A class of drugs that alter perception and produce hallucinations
Intervention i) Taking too much of a drug, which can lead to serious health problems or death
Dealers j) The symptoms experienced when a person stops using a drug
Detoxification k) people who sell illegal or illicit goods, particularly drugs.
  1. What did the filmmakers expect to encounter?
  2. What is the impact of the new substance being mixed into the drug supply?
  3. Why are volunteers treating the wounds?
  4. How are the wounds occurring?
  5. Who are Ronnie and Dawn, and what is their connection to the community?
  6. What is Zach’s situation? What does he see is his solution?
  7. Why did Danielle want to knock herself out?
  8. According to the reporter, what are some of the root causes of the issue?

Listening | Comprehension

Writing | Starting The Process

  • How good are you at the following aspects of writing? Mark VG, G, OK, NG or DK.
  • Choose 3 items you would like to improce upon.

Writing | Essay Writing

  • Formal or informal?
  • Contractions or no contractions?
  • Colloquial language or not?
  • A personal or authoritative/informative tone?
  • A structured, objective and logical approach, or a narrative?
  • Subjective or objective?
  • First or third person?
  • Current drug prevention and treatment policies have to change, as the use of new and more lethal drugs becomes more widespread.
    • This statement can be discussed from a/an ______ perspective.
      • health
      • justice
      • community
      • family-values
      • ... (continue the list)

Writing | Discussion

  • The current US drug prevention and treatment policy has to change, as the use of new and more lethal drugs becomes more widespread.
    • Perspectives:
      • economic, environmental, political, social, developmental, agricultural, financial, cultural, historical, legal, ethical, demographic, health, geopolitical, philosophical, religious, anthropological, labor, human rights, security, etc.
    • Choose three perspectives. What comments can you make about the topic from these perspectives?

Writing | Discussion

Academic Language | Introducing Citations

  • Put the focus on the original author. Verb in active form.
    • Wyett (2023, p.39) argues that recreational drug users should not be punished for their actions, but should instead be educated and given support.
  • Shift focus to the content #1. Use impersonal it structure with verb in passive.
    • It has been argued that recreational drug users should not be punished for their actions, but should instead be educated and given support. (Wyett, 2023, p.39)
  • Shift focus to the content #2. Use There is / There has been structure with noun form of reporting verb
    • There has been considerable argument about whether recreational drug user should be punished for their actions, with Wyett (2023, p. 39) stating that drug policy should instead focus on education and support.

Academic Language | Introducing Citations

  • Rephrase your sentences using variations.

Your class recently watched a news report on the rise of drug overdoses among young people in a particular state in the USA. Your English teacher has asked you to write an essay.

 

Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons for your point of view.

 

What can be done to address the issue of drug abuse among young people?

 

Notes:

Write about:

  • Education and awareness campaigns
  • Enforcing drug-use laws
  • ______ (your own idea)
     
  • Example own ideas if stuck: targeting dealers and traffickers, access to addiction treatment and recovery services, provide access to counseling and mental health services, improve life opportunities for social mobility, provide access to drug-free housing options for young people, etc.

Writing | Discussion

Example In-text Referencing | Harvard APA Author-Date System

  • Attribute the author of ideas for fairness and to avoid plagiarism claims.
  • Supporting ideas by linking to academic sources, and connecting ideas to wider context.
  • In-text reference citing a single author.
  • In-text reference citing a multiple authors.
  • Author before idea? Author emphasized.

Correct the mistakes in the APA reference formats.

  • Gain the reader's interest (maybe something of recent importance, something the reader is already interested in?)
  • Contextualise the topic (move from general to more specific), with relevant background info
  • What do we know about the topic already, what don't we know.
  • Essay topic and focus (essay tiopic and focus. What questions will we specifically look to answer.)
  • Why might it be important to know this information? What could we learn by answering the topic?
  • Indicate the organisation of the essay, and how we will answer the question

Academic Language | Essay Introductions (Not Cambridge First)

Evaluating an introduction

Upper-Intermediate | Drug Policy in the US

By Adam Wyett

Upper-Intermediate | Drug Policy in the US

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