There are many influences on a student, such as the media and peer pressure, that may be detrimental. ESLTeachers teaching about health topics should be positive role models because they are an important factor in the students' social and health behaviors. Social learning theory supports the premise that educators who model good health behavior may have a positive impact on their students and may help their students make good choices regarding cultural and health behaviors (Clark et al.) Students desire positive role models who are honest, sincere, energetic, knowledgeable and caring. Teachers and students can easily see through superficial qualities (Gibson-Laemel, 1987).

One area that is a popular ESL health topic is Substance Abuse.
Usually it is easiest to start with a common habit: Tobacco Use.
It is important to discuss why children, teenagers and adults begin to smoke. Tobacco has been known and used for hundreds of years. Cigarettes became popular in the early 1900s. Although the serious dangers of tobacco smoking are now much better known, an estimated 42% of adult men and 31% of adult women still smoke.

The primary drug in tobacco is nicotine. Smoking results in the constriction of the blood vessels, which decreases the skin temperature. Nicotine causes an increased heartbeat and elevated blood pressure. Cigarette smoke also contains chemicals known as tars. These substances have been identified as carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents. Smoking is a major cause of lung cancer. Smokers have amuch higher rate of coronary heart disease. Emphysema, a breathing disorder that results from deterioration of lung tissue, and other respiratory diseases are associated with cigarette smoking.

The above, are some obvious effects of using tobacco. It is important to educate the students to this information and in the ESL classroom, there are many new vocabulary words to be learned. Discussion of the possibility of lung cancer for some,is something you may feel needs to be addressed. Quitting the habit takes a lot of willpower and strength of character. Usually the experts say the first six months is the most difficult period. Suggestions can be discussed in class as to how to quit this very addictive habit. Examples to suggest may be: washing your mouth out with mouth wash such as Listerine, chewing gum, running a 5k-10k when you crave a cigarette, (although this may be difficult as the smoker may be so out of shape). But the idea is to motivate and encourage students that they have the ability to quit-- and imagine the thousands of dollars that can be saved every year. There is immense peer pressure to look cool and many succumb to this during their adolescent years. Teaching healthy behaviour alternatives is very important to a long and healthy life style.

Addendum by DoS (from our Discussion Forum):

..try out a classes knowledge of First Aid!! Here in China it is pretty much non-existent. Give (an older class) a question:

You are in a restaurant and your friend (I usually pick out a student in the class here, to give it some personality) starts to choke on a piece of meat. What do you do?

Well, I get all sorts of answers to this one!! Most foreigners would know the (and I can't spell this) Hymlic (sp?) manouver. Not so here, go on, give it a go, you will be shocked and amazed!

(NB: I always tell my students: If I am hurt, *leave me alone!!* go and get one of the other teachers! :-)