Pleasure is the motivation for many things people do in life. One of the many ways people choose to experience pleasure is by using drugs, whether it is caffeine, tobacco, cannabis or alcohol. Yet, seeking pleasure is something that we are sometimes made to feel guilty about. This is particularly true when it comes to drugs. So why might it be important to talk about pleasure in the context of drug use? Well, it turns out that, for all of us, our motivations operate within a tension between short-term pleasure and long-term goals. Furthermore, the pleasures of drug use are inextricably bound up with its risks. We cannot effectively talk about the one without the other. This lesson plan aims to engage students to think more critically about the concepts of pleasure, pain and risk related to drug use and to explore why pleasure is often missing from the conversation about drugs. This helps equip students to make more informed choices in their pursuit of pleasure.