Practise reading the conversation below in groups. Thereafter, discuss and outline
the reasons for drug abuse . Finally, compare what you would have written with your
desk mate’s work.
TEACHER: Mubyeyi, how come you were having a cigarette? Do you smoke?
MUBYEYI: (looking scared) O ... of course not, madam. I ... I found it on my desk. You
walked in as I was removing it!
TEACHER: Gatete, Umutoni, Hirwa ... look at your friend.
Did the cigarette walk to her desk? Who put
it there?
GATETE: Madam, it wasn’t me.
UMUTONI: It wasn’t me either.
HIRWA: Madam, it wasn’t me and I have never seen
Mubyeyi smoking. It must have been someone
else. We all say no to smoking. We know
smoking causes cancer.
TEACHER: I hope you are all being sincere. You should all
avoid drugs.
GATETE: Madam, we are ... I wonder what makes one
start smoking or abusing drugs!
TEACHER: Well, some people abuse drugs because of peer
pressure. This is when your friends urge you to do
what you don’t want. For instance, some young
people smoke because they think it will make
them popular. Some don’t want to be laughed at
or teased.
HIRWA: I was in such a situation once. My cousins asked me to take a swig of beer
to show that I am “grown-up”. Sadly, my cousins are always drunk. They
hardly shower and sometimes they laugh even at birds! They seem lonely and
miserable. I didn’t want any of that.
TEACHER: Well, they are addicts ... they need help.
UMUTONI: Madam, some young people smoke because they see their parents smoke! On
the other hand, some are just curious.
TEACHER: I know ... and that is sad. You should always do what is right not what other
people do. If you must copy, copy good not evil.
MUBYEYI: My brother is in a rehabilitation centre. He was addicted to cocaine. He once
told me he started doing drugs because he was bored! Another time, he said
he abused drugs in order to be brave. He has wasted his youth. I am glad he is
getting help now.
TEACHER: Being an adolescent can be challenging. Some adolescents take drugs to ‘test’
the limits with their parents. On the other hand, some do it out of ignorance.
Drugs will affect your health not your parents’! Only you will suffer! Hence,
keep off drugs.
Discussion
Read the following passage and then discuss the answers to the questions in your
groups.
Johnson has been a naughty boy since I knew him. He never took his work seriously. At
no given time did he pay attention. Neither his work nor his conduct was impressive. The
entire class would always wonder what was wrong with him. Not long afterwards, he
dropped out of school. We later heard that he had joined a gang of young men who spend
their day drinking and smoking. But how long can one lead such a reckless life? Last week
the police apprehended the gang. The gang is behind bars waiting to face criminal charges
in a court of law. What a waste of life! Their energies should have been spent on nation-
building.
1. Why do you think the character in the story wasted his life?
2. How can we help such people before they waste themselves?
3. What do you think caused the gang to face criminal charges?
4. How can you avoid Johnson’s pitfalls?
Read the following:
Above is a table of anti-social behaviour, their causes and effects.
In groups, generate more cause/effects and present to the class.
Debate the topic
“The society and not the individual is to blame for drug abuse among teenagers.”
One group should propose and the other one should oppose. Appoint a secretary for each
group to summarise the points raised. Finally, present them to the class to determine the
winners of the motion.
B. Reading and comprehension
Read the following passage.
Say no to smoking
Some smokers never consider the consequences of smoking. If they did, they would not
be smoking. Some have a misconception that smoking
helps the smoker relax. That is a lie.
One effect of smoking is developing
respiratory 
problems. Many smokers have a ‘never-healing’ cold.
They cough on and on, sounding like a woofer!
Also, smoking leads to addiction to nicotine. That
is why smokingis not an easy habit to beat. Nicotine
produces physical and mood-altering effects in a
smoker’s brain. These are temporarily pleasing.
When a smoker stops smoking, nicotine is what causes
withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety
Moreover, cigarette smoking causes heart disease
and stroke. Smokers have much higher rates of cancer
than non-smokers. Smoking increases the risk of lung
cancer.
Smokers suffer from shortness of breath almost three times as often as non-smokers. The resting heart rates of young adult smokers are two to three beats per minute faster
than non-smokers. A fast heart rate increases the workload on the heart. It causes
dizziness, light-headedness, chest pain and fainting.
Another effect of smoking is that it can cause the smoker to start using other drugs.
Research has shown that smokers are more likely than non-smokers to use alcohol.
Smokers are eight times more likely to use marijuana. They are twenty-two times more
likely to use cocaine. Smoking is associated with other risky behaviour, such as fighting
and engaging in unprotected sex.
If you want to live longer, you must think of your heart, your lungs – about your health.
On average, a smoker of a pack or more of cigarettes each day lives seven years less than
a non-smoker. Smoking hurts your physical fitness.
There is no beauty in taking drugs. Smoking will make you suffer and eventually kill you.
Drinking alcohol is not any better; it causes memory loss. Avoid gangs and say no to smoking.
Answer the following questions
1. Give the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.
a) misconception f) workload
b) respiratory g) risky behaviour
c) mood-altering
d) temporarily pleasing
e) shortness of breath
2. According to the passage, many people smoke because ................
3. “Sounding like a woofer” means the smokers’ chest make noise like ............
4. equipment.
5. How does nicotine affect the brain?
6. List down some of the diseases that smoking causes.
7. What are the effects of having a fast heart rate?
8. Explain the effects of taking alcohol.
9. Apart from the diseases mentioned in the passage, what else is a smoker likely to
suffer from?
10. Discuss the social and economic effects of taking drugs and alcohol.
C. Language use
Using connectors, adjectives and gerunds
Read the following sentences.
1. He was smoking so as to feel special.
2. She is drinking because she is frustrated
3. They are abusing drugs in order to be seen as superior.
4. He is sniffing glue because he wants to feel high.
5. She is smoking so as to forget her frustrations and feel easy.
Connectors
In the above sentences, so as to, because and in order to are connectors.
Connectors, as their name suggests, connect two clauses to make sentences.
Fill in the gaps with the correct connectors. Choose from ‘so as to’, ‘because’, and ‘in order to’.
order to’.
1. She started smoking ......... she thought it was fun.
2. He stopped smoking ......... be healthier.
3. I kept on taking alcohol ......... get an addict’s high.
4. We are not joining any gang ......... they cause fear among people.
5. She is not taking alcohol ......... it can cause memory loss.
6. He is going to the rehabilitation centre ......... seek help.
7. She should stop taking drugs ......... to think clearly.
8. He is being rehabilitated ......... live a drug-free.
9. She is studying psychology ......... help counsel addicts.
10. Joining a gang will shorten your life ......... you will be facing violence.
Other connectors include: above all, furthermore, even so, however, instead, whereas,
then and first. Can you think of more?
Make correct sentences by joining parts in Column A with the correct ones in Column B.
Adjectives
Each one of the bold words describes the users of drugs in each case. They, therefore,
describe the subjects at the beginning of the sentences shown by the pronouns. They are,
therefore, adjectives
Copy the sentences below in your exercise book and underline the adjectives
1. He joined a gang in the village because he felt lonely.
2. She visited the drinking den because she felt frustrated.
3. The naughty boys were expelled from school because they were found smoking.
4. She abused drugs because she wanted to feel high.
5. He thought that smoking would make him look fashionable.
Working in your groups, construct ten sentences on anti-social behaviour. Include
adjectives in each case.
Gerunds
A gerund is a noun in the form of the present participle of a verb, that is a verb ending in – -ing
Look at the following examples.
1. I prefer eating to drinking.
2. Running is good exercise.
3. Smoking can lead to cancer.
4. He likes eating.
5. He is fond of misbehaving.
6. His mistake, cheating, made the teacher annoyed.
7. He likes lying.
8. The street child started sniffing glue.
Rewrite the words in bold in the following sentences as gerunds.
1. To smoke in a public place is a crime.
2. To abuse alcohol and drugs is destructive.
3. To avoid problems with teachers is easy if you don’t misbehave.
4. To over-eat is to invite obesity.
5. To join street gangs is a ticket to an early death.
6. The prefect told the boy that to sniff glue is bad for his health.
7. He likes to play.
8. He hates to take alcohol.
9. To engage in promiscuous behaviour is to invite all manner of STIs.
10. Mutesi likes to play volleyball and to read novels.
Use the following words to make correct sentences with a gerund.
1. drink 4. attempt 7. correct
2. eat 5. steal 8. allow
3. engage 6. abus
In groups, discuss why anti-social behaviour should be discouraged in our society. In
presentations to the class bring out the dangers of such behaviour. Use gerunds in your
sentence construction.
D. Writing
Working in your groups
Write five sentences about the causes and another five on the effects of anti-social
behaviour.
Group project
Working in groups, imagine that you are a member of your estate/village youth group.
You have noticed that there are many cases of drug abuse in the area. The best way of
communicating with your fellow youths is by using visual means, i.e. what they can see.
Working together, discuss a poster or a chart you can develop to pass the message and
later design and make it. You can design it in your books before sketching it on a manila.
Rearrange the following sentences to make a sensible story.
1. The officer arrested me; I was arraigned in court and ended up here.
2. I regret joining this gang; look where I have ended up.
3. I started thinking of joining them so as to belong.
4. I felt lonely because I was new in the estate and I used to live alone.
5. She requested me to hold her bag.
6. I thought I would feel special if I joined them.
7. I went jogging every evening and I saw them chatting happily.
8. I started talking to one of them in order to know who the others were.
9. I was arrested for possessing drugs.
10. Before long, she started jogging with me.
11. Finally, she introduced me to her friends.
12. One day were walking home.
13. She excused herself because she wanted to pick something from a shop.
14. The police office found me holding the bag.
15. He asked me to hand it over and on searching it found cocaine.
E . Little laughter
ENGLISH: What is the result of smoking too much?
MATHS:Coffin!
Each one of the bold words describes the users of drugs in each case. They, therefore,describe the subjects at the beginning of the sentences shown by the pronouns. They are,therefore, adjectives
Copy the sentences below in your exercise book and underline the adjectives1. He joined a gang in the village because he felt lonely.2. She visited the drinking den because she felt frustrated.3. The naughty boys were expelled from school because they were found smoking.4. She abused drugs because she wanted to feel high.5. He thought that smoking would make him look fashionable.
Working in your groups, construct ten sentences on anti-social behaviour. Includeadjectives in each case.
