Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs and First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures (ICSE Class 8)
Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Tobacco, alcohol and drugs are addictive and damage the lungs, liver, heart and brain. First aid is immediate help given before a doctor arrives. For burns cool with running water, for bleeding press firmly with a clean pad, and for a fracture keep the limb still with a splint and do not move it.
Understand Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures
Addictive substances. Once a person starts it is hard to stop, and stopping brings unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Tobacco (cigarettes, bidis, gutka, chewing tobacco): contains nicotine (addictive) and tar.
- Causes cancer of lungs, mouth and throat, heart disease, bronchitis, breathlessness, stained teeth and bad breath.
- Passive smoking harms people who breathe the smoke.
Alcohol.
- Slows the brain: poor judgement, slow reactions, loss of balance, hence many road accidents.
- Long-term use damages the liver (cirrhosis), heart and brain; brings family quarrels and loss of money.
Drugs (narcotics, misused medicines, inhalants).
- Affect the brain: confusion, mood changes, hallucinations; an overdose can kill.
- Addiction leads to lying, stealing and poor studies; shared needles spread HIV and hepatitis.
Saying no. Be firm with peers, choose friends wisely, take up sports and hobbies, talk to trusted adults; help is available from doctors and de-addiction centres.
First aid. Immediate help given to an injured or suddenly ill person before a doctor or ambulance arrives. Aims: preserve life, prevent worsening, promote recovery. First make sure the place is safe, then help, and call for medical help.
First-aid box: sterile gauze and cotton, bandages, adhesive plasters, antiseptic, scissors, tweezers, gloves, thermometer, burn gel, emergency numbers.
Burns and scalds.
- Cool under clean running water for at least 10 minutes.
- Remove rings and tight items near the burn; do not pull off stuck cloth.
- Cover loosely with a clean non-fluffy cloth.
- Do not apply ice, butter, oil or toothpaste; do not burst blisters.
Bleeding.
- Press firmly on the wound with a clean pad; raise the injured part above the heart.
- If blood soaks through, add another pad on top; do not remove the first.
- Nosebleed: sit up, lean forward, pinch the soft part of the nose for about 10 minutes.
- Small cuts: wash, antiseptic, plaster.
Fracture (break or crack in a bone): pain, swelling, bent look, cannot move normally.
- Do not move the person unless in danger; do not straighten the bone.
- Immobilise with a padded splint tied above and below the break; use a sling for an arm.
- If bone protrudes, cover with a clean cloth. Get medical help quickly.
Everyday emergencies.
| Emergency | First aid |
|---|---|
| Fainting | lay flat, raise legs, loosen clothes, give air |
| Insect sting | scrape out sting sideways, wash, cold compress |
| Dog bite | wash with soap and running water; see a doctor at once |
| Sprain | rest, ice in cloth, bandage, raise the limb |
| Electric shock | switch off supply or push away with dry wood |
Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures: key facts
- Tobacco, alcohol, drugs
Tobacco nicotine, tar, cancer Alcohol liver damage, accidents Drugs brain, HIV from shared needles - All are addictive.
- First aid aims
- Preserve life
- Prevent worsening
- Promote recovery
- Call for help
- Before the doctor arrives.
- Key actions
Burn cool running water Bleeding press with clean pad Fracture splint, do not move Nosebleed lean forward - No ice, butter or oil on burns.
How to answer Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures questions
Questions ask for harmful effects with causes, steps of first aid in a given injury, mistakes to avoid, or contents of a first-aid box.
- 1For harmful effects, name the substance, the organ damaged and the social harm.
- 2For first aid, give steps in order: make safe, treat, call help.
- 3State what not to do (no ice or butter on burns; do not straighten a fracture).
- 4Use the correct technique for the injury (press for bleeding, splint for fracture).
- 5End with seeking medical help for serious cases.
Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures in real life
The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Hot water scald
Suppose a boy spills hot tea over his forearm and a friend suggests spreading butter on it.
What should be done instead, and why is butter wrong?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Hold the arm under clean running water for at least 10 minutes to cool it.
- Cover loosely with a clean non-fluffy cloth.
- Butter traps heat and may carry germs; ice can further damage the skin.
Answer: Cool with running water and cover; butter and ice must not be used.
Memory hook: Water first, nothing greasy.
Passive smoke
Suppose a man smokes 10 cigarettes a day for a year in a small room where his children study.
How many cigarettes is that in a year, and why are the children also at risk?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- 10 × 365 = 3650 cigarettes in a non-leap year.
- The children breathe the smoke, which is passive smoking.
- Passive smoking harms the lungs of non-smokers too.
Answer: 3650 cigarettes; the children suffer from passive smoking.
Memory hook: Smoke harms those who breathe it.
Tricks to remember Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
Three Ps of first aid
Preserve life, Prevent worsening, Promote recovery.
Use it when: Aims.
Lean forward
Nosebleed: lean forward, pinch the soft part.
Use it when: Nosebleed.
Press, raise, wrap
Bleeding: press, raise above heart, wrap.
Use it when: Bleeding.
Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures: solved examples
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.
Example 1: Cirrhosis · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Cirrhosis, caused by long-term drinking of alcohol, is a disease of the:
(a) lungs (b) kidneys (c) liver (d) heart
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Alcohol damages the liver, causing cirrhosis.
Answer: (c).
Example 2: Define first aid · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
Define first aid and state its aims.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Immediate help given to an injured or ill person before medical help arrives (1 mark).
- Aims: to preserve life, prevent the condition from getting worse and help recovery (1 mark).
Answer: Immediate help before a doctor; preserve life, prevent worsening, help recovery.
Example 3: Deep cut · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level
A girl cuts her palm and bleeds heavily. List four steps of first aid in order.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Press firmly on the wound with a clean pad (1 mark).
- Raise the hand above the level of the heart (1 mark).
- If blood soaks through, add another pad and do not remove the first (1 mark).
- Bandage firmly (not too tight) and get medical help for a deep wound (1 mark).
Answer: Press, raise, add pads, bandage and call help.
Example 4: Open fracture · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level
After a road accident a cyclist's lower leg is bleeding and a piece of bone is visible through the skin. State the order of first aid you would give and two things you must not do.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Make the place safe, call for medical help at once (1 mark).
- Cover the wound and the bone with a clean cloth and control the bleeding around it without pressing on the bone (1 mark).
- Keep the leg still with a padded splint tied above and below (1 mark).
- Do not push the bone back or try to straighten the leg, and do not move the cyclist unnecessarily (1 mark).
Answer: Call help, cover and control bleeding, splint; do not push or straighten.
Example 5: Smoking talk · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
A friend says that smoking relaxes him and that chewing tobacco is safer. (a) Name two harmful effects of tobacco. (b) Give one reason why chewing tobacco is not safe. (c) Suggest two ways to say no to peer pressure.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- (a) Lung cancer, heart disease, bronchitis (any two) (1 mark).
- (b) It contains nicotine and causes cancer of the mouth (1 mark).
- (c) Refuse firmly and choose friends wisely (1 mark).
- Take up sports or hobbies, or talk to a trusted adult (1 mark).
Answer: Cancer and heart disease; mouth cancer; refuse, sports or hobbies.
Where students lose marks in Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Folk remedies on burns
Butter, oil, toothpaste and ice are popular.
Do this: Cool with running water.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Leaning back during a nosebleed
Habit of tilting the head.
Do this: Lean forward and pinch the nose.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Straightening a fractured limb
It seems helpful.
Do this: Immobilise it as it is with a splint.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Listing effects without naming the organ
Answers say harmful to health.
Do this: Name lungs, liver, brain, heart.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Exam tips
- Tobacco: nicotine, tar; cancer, heart disease.
- Burn: cool running water; no ice or butter.
- Fracture: splint, do not straighten.
- First aid ends with calling for medical help.
Practice questions on Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level
What is passive smoking?
Hint
Breathing others' smoke.
Answer
Breathing in the smoke of tobacco from people who smoke nearby, which harms the non-smoker.
Q2 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Ice should not be applied to a burn.
Reason (R): Ice can further damage the skin; cool running water is the correct way to cool a burn.
(a) (A) is true and (R) is false.
(b) (A) is false and (R) is true.
(c) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(d) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).Hint
Correct cooling.
Answer
(c).
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Describe the first aid for a person who faints and for a person who has been stung by an insect.
Hint
Position, air, sting.
Answer
Fainting: lay the person flat, raise the legs, loosen tight clothing and give fresh air; give no water until fully conscious. Insect sting: scrape out the sting sideways, wash the area and apply a cold compress.
Q4 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Explain how drug abuse harms the health, studies and family of a young person, and how shared needles spread disease.
Hint
Brain, behaviour, needles.
Answer
Drugs affect the brain and nervous system, causing confusion, mood changes and hallucinations, and an overdose can kill. Addiction makes the person lie or steal to get drugs, studies suffer and the family is hurt. Needles shared by users carry infected blood, which spreads HIV and hepatitis.
Q5 · 3 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
Read and answer.
Suppose a boy has a nosebleed during a football match, and a friend tells him to lean back and tilt his head.
(a) Is this advice correct? (1)
(b) What is the correct position? (1)
(c) For how long should the soft part of the nose be pinched, and when should a doctor be consulted? (1)Hint
Blood should not run down the throat.
Answer
(a) No. (b) Sit up and lean forward. (c) About 10 minutes; consult a doctor if bleeding does not stop or the injury is severe.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.What is the addictive substance in tobacco?Show answer
Nicotine.
2.Name the tarry substance in tobacco smoke.Show answer
Tar.
3.How long should a burn be cooled?Show answer
At least 10 minutes.
4.What do you use to hold a fractured limb still?Show answer
A splint.
5.What spreads HIV among drug users?Show answer
Shared needles.
Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures: frequently asked questions
Are sprains asked?
They fall under simple first aid in day-to-day emergencies.
Do I need to learn the full list of the kit?
Know the main items, such as gauze, bandages, plasters, antiseptic and scissors.
Is first aid a substitute for the doctor?
No; it is immediate help until medical help arrives.
Where are diseases covered?
In the previous topic.