Adolescent Brain Development

Abstract Adolescents go through significant brain development during their teenage years. This process likely contributes to increased risk taking and lapses in sound decision making but also supports learning and being open to new experiences. A growing research base points to the view that drug use is a harmful activity for youth and that early-onset and frequent use of drugs may disrupt brain development. The “brain under construction” of a teenager is vulnerable to the effects of stress, and in combination with biological risk, adolescence is a period of onset of many mental illnesses. Several cognitive deficits have been linked to early use of alcohol or cannabis; the earlier age of onset of regular use, the worse the neurocognitive outcomes. Also, the risk for addiction for all licit and illicit drugs is greatly increased when a person starts to use a drug during their teen years.