IV. ADOLESCENCE –
Alcohol is the drug of choice by teenagers followed by nicotine and marijuana
- Three/ Fourths of teenagers have tried alcohol and half of teenagers have smoked cigarettes
- You are more likely to become addicted to nicotine or alcohol during adolescents than adulthood
Why do adolescents do drugs?
- To fit in
- They want to escape of relax from stress
- They are bored
- They want to rebel
- They want to experiment
- Self- medication for depression
- To feel grown- up
Experimentation with drugs is more harmful during adolescents than in early adulthood.
The adolescent brain is very malleable because their brain is still developing. The average human brain stops developing around the age of 25 and can suffer from structural damage from early exposure to these substances. Alcohol is harmful for the hippocampus ( which is important for memory) and the pre-frontal cortex ( which affects long term and short term decision-making and considering consequences)
- the pre-frontal cortex is one of the last parts of the brain to mature. Since it is not fully developed, teens are more likely to do drugs because the part of their brain that thinks about the consequences of their actions is not fully developed so they do not think about how drugs can negativity affect their future
Teen users are at significantly higher risk of developing an addictive disorder compared to adults, and the earlier they began using, the higher their risk.
- Nine out of 10 people who meet the clinical criteria for substance use disorders involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs began smoking, drinking or using other drugs before they turned 18.
- Individuals who begin drinking in early adolescence ( before age 14) are seven times more likely to binge drink and and five times more likely to develop a substance abuse disorder at some point in their life.
- Adolescents who have not experimented with alcohol or marijuana by the time they are in their 20’s are unlikely ever to use these or any other drugs
- Alcohol and marijuana are considered a gateway drug, meaning that when these drugs are used over time, it will lead to the use of more dangerous substances
Early exposure to substances will negatively affect the adolescent brain.
- Since the brain is still maturing, early exposure to drugs and alcohol can will make the brain dependent on that specific substance.
- When a drug enters the body it affects the dopamine levels in your body. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates the experience of pleasure. Drugs feel good to the human body because dopamine receptors in the brain read the drug as dopamine. After excessive use of a drug, natural dopamine levels are significantly decreased making it necessary to use drugs to feel normal amounts of pleasure
Consequences of Adolescent drug use
- adolescent automobile crashes
- suffer academically
- suffer from psychological distress and depression
- physical health
- engage in unprotected sex which can cause unwanted pregnancy and STD’s
- become involved in deviant activities
- Substance abuse in adulthood