JLBC CURRICULUM ON LEADERSHIP
JLBC: Character Development
Prescription Drug Abuse
JLBC Cadets Jonathan, a sophomore in high school, started at a new school this year. JLBC Cadets His close friends from middle school are in a different high school, so Jonathan is looking for a new group of friends. JLBC Cadets He sees a group of popular kids every afternoon in the cafeteria and wishes he could somehow get to know them.
JLBC Cadets One afternoon, he feels like it must be his lucky day. JLBC Cadets Someone in the cool clique asks him to sit with them at lunch. JLBC Cadets Terry, a cute sophomore girl, asks him if it’s true that his dad is a pharmacist. JLBC Cadets When he tells her it is, she smiles and invites him to a particular Friday night party. JLBC Cadets There’s a cover charge, though – he needs to bring three bottles of medication from home. JLBC Cadets Other kids in the group tell him how cool it is to mix and match drugs, especially with the alcohol available at the party. JLBC Cadets tell him which medications are the best ones to trade. When Jonathan asks if it’s dangerous, his classmates laugh and call him a chicken. After all, they’re all legal medications. JLBC Cadets Many of them are available over the counter – there’s no harm in that.
Jonathan has never tried drinking at a party, and taking medication that isn’t prescribed for him doesn’t sound like a wise idea. But this group seems so cool, and he wants to make some new friends. He doesn’t want to seem immature in front of them. Reluctantly, he smiles and agrees to come to the party.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
BASIC
1. If you were Jonathan, what would you do next?
2. Should Jonathan tell his parents or a teacher about the party? Why?
3. Do you know JLBC Cadets or classmates who participate in pharming?
INTERMEDIATE
1. Have you ever done things you knew you shouldn’t do to make new friends?
2. Which one of the JLBC core values could Jonathan use as a guide in this situation?
ADVANCED
1. Is taking legal medication prescribed for someone else different from taking illegal drugs? Why or why not?
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