Effects of Drugs & Alcohol · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Effects of Drugs & Alcohol

Science · Organisms & Life Processes · ages 13-14
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which organ breaks down most alcohol and can become damaged and scarred by long-term heavy drinking?

    • Liver
    • Stomach
    • Kidney

  2. Alcohol slows activity in the central nervous system. Which drug group does this describe?

    • Stimulant
    • Depressant
    • Hallucinogen

  3. Smoking tobacco can increase the risk of lung cancer.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Which effect best matches the hallucinogen group?

    • Seeing something that is not really there
    • Becoming less alert as nervous activity slows
    • Becoming more alert with a possible faster pulse

  5. Nicotine can increase alertness and raise heart rate. Which drug group best matches these effects?

    • Depressant
    • Hallucinogen
    • Stimulant

  6. Feeling a strong need to use a drug to cope is, by itself, evidence of physical dependence.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A student says, 'Caffeine and alcohol must be in the same drug group because both can be legally sold.' Which explanation corrects this reasoning?

    • Legal sale puts both in the depressant group, regardless of their effects
    • Legal sale puts both in the stimulant group, regardless of their effects
    • Their effects differ: caffeine is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant

  8. A clinician identifies an adult's shaking after stopping alcohol as withdrawal. No information about urges to drink is given. Which conclusion is supported?

    • Withdrawal proves psychological dependence and rules out physical dependence
    • Physical dependence is shown; psychological dependence remains uncertain
    • Neither form of dependence is possible unless urges to drink are reported
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Effects of Drugs & Alcohol W1-mt_2R3xRpYhMa-s1

  1. Liver · The liver breaks down most alcohol. Long-term heavy drinking can cause liver damage and scarring.
  2. Depressant · Alcohol is a depressant because it slows central nervous system activity.
  3. True · Tobacco smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals that can damage lung cells. Smoking therefore increases lung cancer risk.
  4. Seeing something that is not really there · Hallucinogens alter perception. Seeing something that is not there is one possible effect.
  5. Stimulant · Nicotine is a stimulant. Increased alertness and a possible rise in heart rate match stimulant effects.
  6. False · Feeling a need to use a drug to cope describes psychological dependence. It does not by itself establish physical dependence.
  7. Their effects differ: caffeine is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant · These drug groups describe effects, not legal status. Caffeine is a stimulant; alcohol is a depressant.
  8. Physical dependence is shown; psychological dependence remains uncertain · Identified withdrawal supports physical dependence. The prompt gives too little information to establish or rule out psychological dependence.
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