DRUG ADDICTION

My friend Anna was a “crack baby”. Her mother died of an overdose a couple of years back. She was addicted to all sorts of drugs including crack and heroin. Initially, it was all a fun game for Anna’s mom. She used to smoke marihuana after school as a teenager; later on during college she experienced different drugs that were available on campus. Having been introduced to drugs at an early age, it was easy for her to give in to other harmful and worse drugs. She had Anna at the age of 22, but by then she was heavily addicted to crack. If you never heard of “crack babies”, well, they are simply those babies born of parents (more specifically mothers) addicted to crack. These babies are born addicted to the drug and they have serious health problems, including those of the heart. As they get older they also face difficulty in learning and understanding simple ideas. Also, their retention span and focus is very low. “Crack babies” are only one of the harmful effects drugs have on society. They were born around the mid. 1980’s with the development of this new drug made out of cocaine. This have become a current social problem. In the United States drugs have affected its population including those who have never used them.

Now, you probably believe that drugs are a problem that originated during our era, or during the recent 20^th century. But the truth is that throughout history, the use of narcotics changed the course of people’s lives and nations. This would be the case of the introduction of opium into China by the British in the 19^th century. The effects this drug had on Chinese society were such that it led to a major war known as The Opium War. The British realized that opium was highly demanded in China and that this would open their doors to Chinese markets while its sell became a profitable business. The Chinese government seeing the harmful effects it had on its people demanded the British to stop sending the opium. The British refused to this demand and both nations became involved in a war in which the Chinese proved to be a military failure. As you can see drugs whether it is marihuana, heroin, ecstasy, crack, or opium have affected society and the history of the world…

Your task will be to create a short story in which you explain the effects narcotics (drugs) have had on the people of the United States or explain the effects opium had on Chinese society during the 19^th century. For each, you MUST find specific public policies created by each government to solve this problem. Your story will mix fictional characters with the actual facts found during your research. It must be no less than 3 pages and no more than 4 pages long. Your work must be typed and double-spaced. The story should reflect the PPA seen in class.

· You will be put to work in groups of three to gather the necessary information. However, each member is responsible for their own final story.

· Each group will be assigned a topic, whether it is the effects of drugs in the U.S. population or the effects of opium in 19^th century Chinese society.

· You will need to look at a list of different websites with information on your two topics. Remember, you are looking for the effects of drugs in the U.S. which is a current theme, and the effects of opium in China during the 19^th century when it was first introduced by the British.

· As you work you will be guided by the following 5-step public policy worksheets. Each member of the groups will be responsible for answering all of them. This will help you organize your material and work faster. Also, you will use the worksheets to cite your sources:

1. Identify the Problem

2. Gather the Evidence

3. Determine the causes

4. Evaluate the policies

5. Comparative Analysis

· In the story you should create fictitious characters to portray the actual facts you found on your research. For example, to explain the variety of effects drugs have had on the people of New York City, I might use Joe, John and Johnny as Americans involved in someway in the world of drugs. For the effects of opium in 19^th century China, I might use a young girl and her addicted father during that time. The choice of characters that portray your story is in your hands. Use your imagination.

· Remember to use the results of your research in your story, those can not be fictitious. For example when you discuss the effects of opium in Chinese society in your story, you can not avoid including the Opium War as well as the real winner. You can however create some type of situation around it.

· This will be considered your term project for the class. Your grade will be determined based on your group work and individual final story.

· Your work must include a bibliography page.

Here is a list of websites that will help you gather the necessary information to answer the worksheets as well as develop your final story:

1. Here you can find information on “why all different kinds of people use drugs”: http://www.freevibe.com/headsup/peoplestart/index.shtml#whydo

2. Physical effects of different drugs:

http://www.freevibe.com/headsup/lowdown_index.shtml

3. Some real stories about people and drugs:

http://www.freevibe.com/shoutout/mystory_index.shtml

4. Facts about drugs and people:

http://www.freevibe.com/headsup/didyouknow.shtml#5

5. $ Costs on society of drug use according to the NIDA:

http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/costs.html

6. Pregnancy and drug abuse:

http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/pregnancytrends.html

7. Here you can find information on the Federal government’s policy on drug use and control:

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/policy/index.html

8. Information about government’s budget on drug control programs:

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/04budget/fund_tables.pdf

9. Federal programs for the prevention of drugs:

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/prevent/index.html

10. Here you can find information about a Federal program that helps to stop the production and block the infiltration of drugs into the U.S.:

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/policy/budget2002/andean.html#purpose

11. Other international programs the Federal government uses to stop the infiltration of drugs:

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/international/index.html

12. Success stories of drug addicts:

http://www.opiumaddiction.com/success.htm

13. Brief information from the History channel on opium:

http://historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl?ID=104928

14. Information on the Boxer Rebellion in China:

http://historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl?ID=76640

15. Brief history of the Opium War and its effects:

http://historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl?ID=104929

16. Here you can find information about Hong Kong and the British as an effect of the Opium War:

http://www.serendipity.li/wod/hongkong.html

17. How was tea related to the introduction of opium into China?:

http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/opie.htm

18. Different effect of the introduction of opium into China:

http://historyliterature.homestead.com/files/extended1.html

19. Opium poppy pictures:

http://www.opiumaddiction.com/opium-pictures.htm

20. Side effects of opium:

http://www.opiumaddiction.com/opium-side-effects.htm

21. Statistics on opium imports in China:

http://www.opiumaddiction.com/opium-statistics.htm

22. How did the smoking of opium affected Chinese society in the 19^th century:

http://www.opiumaddiction.com/opium-statistics.htm

This is the rubric that will evaluate your final product (story):

Category	Not Acceptable	Acceptable  Work	Average Work	Good Work	Exemplary Work
Originality	1	2	3	4	5
Facts Used	1	2	3	4	5
Spelling and Grammar	1	2	3	4	5
Accuracy of Information	1	2	3	4	5
Following Prescribed Format	1	2	3	4	5

To get an A:

You must get a total of 22-25 pts.

To get a B:

You must get a total of 18-21 pts.

To get a C:

You must get a total of 12-17 pts.

To get a C- :

You must get a total of 9-11 pts.

To get a D:

You must get a total of 6-8 pts.

To get an F:

You must get a total of 5 pts. Or less.

By completing the 5-step public policy worksheets and your final project (story), you have learned about drug addiction, its effects on society, and the different policies used to fight against it. Also, you are now able to compare the similar effects this social problem had in China in the 19^th century and today in the United States. You are now more knowledgeable in computer skills, which includes internet searches.

This Web Quest responds to the followings curriculum standards:

Social Studies: 2:1.2:2

z The student will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments and turning points in world history, and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

English Language Arts: 1:1 & 2a

z Interpret and analyze information from websites in the Internet and other sources.

z Compare and synthesize information from different sources in the Internet and other textbooks.

z Speaking and Writing.

z Relate new information to prior knowledge and experience.

z Produce a report of information (E2a)