ESL Podcast 906 - Using Illegal Drugs

anti-drug - against the use of illegal drugs, encouraging people to "say no to drugs"; wanting people to never use drugs and, if they already use drugs, to stop using them

These anti-drug commercials are intended to scare teenagers by showing them how dangerous drugs can be.

to deter - to discourage someone from doing something; to encourage someone to not do something

The risk of foreclosure should deter people from buying houses they cannot afford.

illegal drug use - the practice of taking dangerous, addictive chemicals that are not allowed under law, but that provide a pleasant or exciting feeling

Have you ever been arrested for illegal drug use?

to get the point across - to make one's message clear; to clearly communicate a message to another person

Rick tried to explain his proposal to the committee three different ways, but he just couldn't get the point across.

footage - recorded video images

The news reporter spoke to the TV cameras as footage of the storm was shown on a screen behind her.

hardcore - extreme; the most serious type of something, especially when talking about something negative

Last year they went through a hardcore tax audit and had to pay thousands of dollars.

to smoke pot - to smoke marijuana (an illegal drug from the cannabis plant) ; to burn marijuana leaves and breathe in the smoke for a pleasant, relaxing feeling

What percentage of college students smoke pot, but don't do other drugs?

gateway drug - a mild drug that is not very harmful, but whose use makes it more likely that the individual will begin using more addictive and more dangerous drugs in the future

Some people consider alcohol and cigarettes to be gateway drugs.

addict - a person who is reliant on a chemical substance and needs greater amounts each time to feel good and feels very bad without it

Pepe is an addict and he has spent his life savings on drugs, but he still thinks he needs more.

to pop pills - to swallow a lot of tablets or capsules that contain medicine or drugs

We thought Bryan was popping pills, but it turns out they were just vitamins.

to shoot up heroine - to inject an illegal drug through one's skin and into one's blood vessels

Edgar has a lot of bruises on his arm from shooting up heroine.

to snort - to breathe in a powder, especially an illegal drug

People who often snort cocaine have many nosebleeds.

to freebase cocaine - to smoke a solid form of cocaine (an illegal drug) that cannot be eaten, injected, or inhaled (breathed in)

Nobody knew that Gerald was clearly freebasing cocaine, and had lost his job and home.

downhill spiral - a situation that becomes worse and worse

As sales fell, we had less money to invest in quality control, so our product became less attractive, sales fell even further, and so on. Our company was in a downhill spiral.

explicit - stated directly and with a lot of detail, without leaving any room for confusion or misunderstanding

I wish these violent video games weren't so explicit. Why do they have to show so much blood?

instructional - teaching; providing information about what happened, how something works, or how do to something

Tiago watched some great instructional videos online to learn how to fix his garage door.