PYP Exhibition: Environment & Drug Use

❓ 1 . Our Inquiry Questions

How does the environment we live in influence us to drug use and substance abuse?

The SDG which the reasearch question falls under

Good health and well-being.

Theme of the research project

Who we are, how the world around us shapes our behaviour and affects our well-being.

Central Idea of the research project.

Our choicesand environmental factors can influence our physical and mental well-being.

Specific cencepts of the research project

a. Causation - Why some environments increase the likelyhoodof drug use and substance abuse?

b. Responsibility - How can individuals and the community reduce the risk of drug use and substance abuse and protect their well-being?

Lines of inquiry for the research project

a. Causes and effects of drug abuse.

b. The effects of drug use and substance abuse on individuals ,families and the community.

c. Strategies for preventing drug use and substance abuse and promoting a healthy living for individuals, families and the community.

Learner profiles that I put into use in the research project

Caring, Principled, reflective and balanced.

Related Concepts to the research project

Health, Choices, Consequences.

ATL skills exhibited drunging the research project.

Thinking, self management, Communication

❓ 2. Our Research Question

How does the environment we live in influence us to drug use and substance abuse?

Easy access to alocohol and drugs makes it hard to resist drug use and substance abuse
Living in a home where drug use and substance abuse is common also raises the risks of those living in it to start drug use and substance abuse.
Social media that advertises drug use as being good and cultures that normalizes alcohol and drug use increases experimentation and lead to strat of drug use and substance abuse.
Availability of drugs and promotion of alcohol and drugs online increase chancesof experimentation and eventually drug use and substance abuse.
Friends who use drugs or social groups where drug use and substance abuse is normal can influence adolescents through peer pressure to start using drugs
Being well-off financially makes it easy to buy/access drugs and substances eventually leading to drug use and substance abuse.

How does peer pessure lead to addiction?

Peer pressure means your friends push you to do something you do not want.If you keep doing it your brain can get used to it and you want more . That is how addiction starts.
Sometimes people want to be liked by their friends so they do drugs and abuse substances just to feel as part of the group
Some people feel they will loose friends or be teased if they say "NO" so they agree to try out drugs and substances which normally they would not and it leads to addiction
Curiosityencouraged by friends through things like "Just try it once" may make risky behaviour seem normal but it leadsto addiction
Influence of social groups from friends about use of drugs and alcohol drinking cause people to believe that its normal leading to addiction.
Repeated drug use and substance abuse with friends leads to addiction as the brain starts depending on it.

How can drugs lead to crime and mental illness?

Drugs affect the brain making it not function properly. They may make wrong desicions, have trouble thinking clearly or behave in risky ways causing them to break rules.
Addiction makes people desparate and when their brain feels like it needs the drug some people may steal money, hurt others or join unsafe groups.
In some places harmful drugs are sold illegally and people involved may end up in gangs, fights or dangerous situations leading to crime.
Drugs change how the brain works by damaging partsthat control thoughts, feelings causes trouble sleeping
Drugs cause stress and fear and people using them feel scared and confused and when it goes on for long it becomes a mental health problem.

How can young people promote drug free living.

Make healthy chaiceslike playing sports, eating healthy foods and choosing hobbies like music or art so that when others see them enganging in such activities they may want to join them.
Choose friends who make good decisions becausefriends influence each other alot and good friends help everyone stay safe.
Learn facts about drugs by understanding what drugs can do to the body, how drugs affect the brain and why it is important to say NO!! to drugs.
Speak up and encourage others because sometimesone voice can inspire many.
Join or create awareness projects or get involved in school campaighnsby creating posters about healthy living and have classroom discussions.
Talk to trustedadults if they see someone struggleling or feeling pressured to abuse drugs. This helps protect themselves and their friends.
Stay busy with positive activities to keep them away from unsafe activitiesand environments.

How does drug abuse affect relationships within families?

It breaks trust as some may lie, hide things or make promises they can keep.
It causes stres and worry as members are scared and worry about their health and what may happen next.
It affects a person's mood and they become either angry, sad or easily upset and this can lead to fights.
It causes frustration and exhaustion as other family members do extra work because those addicted forget or miss doing their responsibility.
It may weaken family bonds as those addicted may stop spending time with other family members, ignore important events or become isolated and withdrawn.
Children in families dealing with drug abuse feel scared, confused, lonely and embarrased thinking its their fault.

Findings

⚠️ What problems did I notice?

🏚 In reharb centers people looked sickly and tired e.g running nose, sores on the body and dirty
🏫 They are often sad and alone even though they were in groups they looked unhappy and angry
👥 They have forgotten to be human , they dont socialize or go to work, school or church because drugs have made them forget how to have fun in a normal healthy way and they seem much older than they actually are
📱 Street children wear dirty and torn clothes and look like they havent bathed or changed their clothes for a long time"
🚫 Some steal or fight to get money for buying drugs
🚫 The children do not go to school as mostly they are on the street during school hours
📱 They are rejected by society and are often shouted at or chased away and are seen to be a burden

How can I make a difference?

🏡 Ask parents, teachersand well wishers to donate basic first-aid kits, clean clothes and give to shelters or organisations that help people with drug problems or street children.
👩‍🏫 Participate in cloth drives at school, home and church and donate to the street children and people with drug problems in rehab centers.
🤝 Raise awareness about why this happens, help fight the stigma and encourage the community to support in rehabilitating people with drug problems.
🎨 Organise 'school supply' drives with the school to collect and give to a center for street children to help them when they are ready to leave the streets.
🏡 With the help of adults find local organisations or shelters that can help people with drug problems and street children.
�🗣� Donate toys and fun items to rehabilitation centers to be used by therapists and social wokers to help those in the centers to relearn how to be human again

How Influence Works

🚫 Unsafe Environment → 😢 Stress/Loneliness → ⚠️ Higher Risk of Drug Use

⬇️

✅ Safe Environment → 😊 Support/Belonging → 🌟 Lower Risk of Drug Use

Sources: Interview with rehab counselor, annonymous adults, NACADA offices NAKURU, and trusted websites.

⭐ Which actions can I take?

Small Changes, Big Difference

🏡 At Home

Try and influence family harbits if some family members have drug issues.This can be through politely asking them to reduce alcohol drinking or stop smoking in the house and in so doing it promotes healthier choicesat home.
Learn to say NO!! if someone ever offers me unsafe things like alcohol and drugs.
Eat dinner together as a family to create stronger family bonds that will allow us to share our problems rather than keep silent about them.

🏫 At School

Stand up against bulying because isolated and sad children are more vulnarable to drugs later in life
Start or join a drug fre club with the help of teachers, parents and peers with a mission to promise to stay healthy and organise drug free events and encourage others to jion.
Learn facts about drug use and share them with my school mates and not just say drugs are bad.

🏞️ In Our Neighborhood

Organize a drug-free fun day (sports, art, games)
Write to community leaders to ask for more afterschool programmes like sports leagues to keep people busy and safe, this also teaches them to have a voice in how their community is run.
Make posters about drugs, their effects and how to get help incase one is affected and place them in my neighbourhood.

🌐 Online

Follow positive role models who will influence me to make safer choices
Talk to parents about what I see to avoid watching things that will lead to drug abuse.
Use screen time for learning & fun

Our commitment: We will start a "feelings check-in" at home and school to make our environment safer.

💪 Take action too!

🙋 What You Can Do

🧒 For Kids

If you feel unsafe or stressed, talk to:

👨‍👩‍👧 Your parents or guardian
👩‍🏫 A teacher you trust
📞 A school counselor
📱 Child Helpline: 116 country wide .Whatsapp number 0722116116 includding counselling ,child therapy and family therapy.

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Talk openly about feelings and choices
Set clear, kind rules
Spend quality time together
Know your child's friends

⚠️ What were the similar problems that I did notice?

🏚 They are alwys hungry and begging for food as they do not have access to regular meals. They always eat from the trush cans and they ask passers by for money to buy food
🏫 They smell of strange smells like glue, fuel and bad oduor due to lack of bathing. The smell s are from the chemicals they consume and neglect of cleanlinessas a result of drug use and substance abuse.
👥 They have scars , injuries and cuts that havent been treated or taken care of. They could be from fights ,accidents or inflicted on them by other people when caught in crime
📱 Most of them carry their everything in bags because they dont have any home to go to or have a safe place to leave their belongings.
🚫 The street kids seem scared of people and run away sometime when approached because they have learned to be afraid because they expect to be hurt or shouted at by the people.

⚠️ What questions went through my mind?

🏚 Where are their parent because they are always seen alone on the street?
🏫 Dont they know that drugs are badfor them because we have been taught that drugs are bad and I assumed that everybody knows?
👥 Do they ever feel scared of sleeping outside because for me I am always scared of sleeping outside in the dark or with loud noices outside at night I cant sleep properly?
📱 Do the counsellors and nurses ever get tired or sad from hearing their stories over and over again?
🚫 What will happen to all those people as they can not stay there(at the rehabs) forever?
🚫 After they stop using drugs and abusing drugs do they ever mis them even though the drugs were hurting them?
📱 Can I end up being like them with no home, clean clothes , lack education and god food if I start using drugs too?

📝 Quiz: Is my environment helping me?

Answer Yes or No:

✅ Do I have at least one trusted adult to talk to?
✅ Do I feel safe at home?
✅ Do I have a fun activity I enjoy?
✅ Do my friends make good choices?
✅ Can I say "no" when something feels wrong?

More "Yes" answers = More protection! 🌟

🎯 What We Found Out

📌 Summary

The environment we live in has a big influence on whether someone might start using drugs or alcohol. A stressful, unsafe, or lonely environment pushes people toward substances as an escape. A safe, loving, and fun environment protects people and pushes them away from drugs.

Answer: Our environment influences drug use by shaping how we feel, who we spend time with, and what choices we see around us.

🤔 Our Reflection

What was easy? Doing my research through the internet to know what drugs are, their effects and what causes one to start using them.
What was hard? Understanding why some people decided to leave home and start living on the street and using drugs and substances.
What would we change? Interview more people next time especially those that have ever used drugs and reformed.

🌱 How We Can Continue

Keep learning about healthy choices at home, in school and at church.
Keep talking openly with family and friends about drugs, causes of using them and effects of using them and how to help those affected by drugs.
Keep improving our own environment to ensure it does not cause us to start using drugs and substances.

Special thanks goes to...

This project would not have been possible without;

My teacher Mr Kimani who guided me through the project.
My mother who helped me to stay focused and took me to different places to conduct the interviews and research.
The NACADA offices in Nakuru and rehabilitation centers for allowing me to visit them and conduct my research.
You for visiting my website and caring about the topic.

📺 Find me at: Freedom International School Africa

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🌍 How Does The Environment We live in Influence Drug Use?

❓ Why I chose the topic

❓How I did my research

What the exhibition process was like