LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA• 13
ACTIVITY THREE
Alcohol Abuse- Ask a volunteer to play the role of a drunken person. On the basis of this role play, discuss with
the children what happens when a person gets drunk: cannot walk straight, speaks in a
slurred manner and loses all control over oneself. How did the person feel after the alcohol
levels in the blood stream had subsided? Usually the person feels worse, gets a headache
and may throw up. Conclude the discussion by pointing out to the children that even though
alcohol initially makes a person feel good, the good feeling ultimately subsides and results in
painful feelings. - Tell the children that all of us are going to experience what it feels to be on a “high.” This could
be through alcohol or drugs. - Take two sticks and place them at one end of the room. If you are playing the game outside,
stick them into the ground. At the other end, divide the group into two and place each group in
front of one stick. The first person must go once around the stick and return to the next person
in the line. The second must go twice, and so on. The group that finishes first wins.
Review- How dizzy did everyone feel? Did someone feel dizzier than others?
- Why was that? Did the number of times a person went around the stick affected the degree
of dizziness? Could this be related to the amount of alcohol or drugs used? - Was it difficult to run back to the next person in the line? Explain that this is what happens
when one takes alcohol or other drugs and that the more one takes, the less control one has. - Point out to the children how critical thinking could be impaired by the consumption of
alcohol or drugs. The children could not even return in a straight line to the next person in the
line. Can the child who is on a “high” be able to use a condom (only for children above 14) or
protect him/herself from unsafe sex or other risky behavior?
Linking Learning With Life
Divide the children into two or three groups. Ask them to play the role of a drunken person on the
street, at home and at work. How did each behave, and what happened when s/he interacted with
others? What risky behavior could take place due to the person’s drunken state? How did the
person become drunk so quickly? What happened afterwards?