Teens experimenting with drugs and alcohol is certainly not news. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 36 percent of high school students say they have tried marijuana, more than 60 percent have used alcohol and 14 percent say they've misused prescription opioids.
Here’s the tricky part: Teens are quick learners. In fact, the same part of the brain that helps teenagers quickly pick up a foreign language also makes them more prone to addiction.
The teenage brain is busy building synapses – pathways that connect portions of the brain and create circuits for memories, skills and rewards,Dr. Frances Jensen, chair of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, told PhillyVoice.com. It’s a process called synaptic plasticity.
If they’re constantly exposing their brain to drugs or alcohol instead of math problems or soccer, they’re brains quickly learn to accept that substance. “That's what addiction is,” said Dr. Jensen. It's creating a learned pathway in the reward system of your brain."
This is only part of the reason why it’s particularly dangerous for teens to experiment with addiction substances. What’s more, the brain doesn’t fully mature until age 30 – and this include the frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain linked to impulse control and decision-making. "There's this increased propensity to take risks and try substances – despite the fact that you might know it's really bad for you” Jensen said.
It’s important for parents, guardians and teachers to know this information, so they can talk to teens and young adults about it, Jensen said. Since they are quick learners, they can also quickly understand the dangers of succumbing to peer pressure and engaging in risky behavior.
And if you fear they’re developing a substance use disorder, the sooner you get help, the better: "If you can get them into rehab, you have better results in rehab," Jensen said. "You can undo the circuit. You still have a better ability to remold the circuit – if you can capture it."
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