Drugs and the Adolescent Brain

Drugs

and the Adolescent Brain

by Alicia Kline, Council on Chemical Abuse

The brain remains the most complex and amazing organ in the human body. Responsible for every breath, movement, thought, and action, scientists continue to study the complexities of how the brain develops and functions.

Made up of cells called neurons, humans are born with over one hundred billion brain cells that communicate with each other to form connections that allow us to grow cognitively, physically, and mentally. By the age of three, a child’s brain creates over a quadrillion connections and will continue to develop until they reach their mid-twenties. Promoting healthy brain development relies heavily on the way we encourage, protect, and nurture those connections, which begins at the time of conception.

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Supporting a mother in a healthy pregnancy provides a positive start in the promotion of the child’s healthy development. In addition to proper nourishment, rest, exercise, and reducing stress, helping mothers stay not only drug free but alcohol free helps protect fetal development. Even a small amount of alcohol can harm a developing fetus. Consuming alcohol while pregnant damages the cells in baby’s brain and spinal cord because the same amount of alcohol passes from the mother’s blood stream to her child’s. Upon delivery, parents and caretakers play a key role in assuring those neurons continue to make healthy connections to protect the brain’s development. Communities also play a part in healthy development by providing parents/caretakers with safe environments and the means to help their children live and grow.

Every day parents/caretakers stimulate healthy brain development through attachment and bonding, communication, modeling positive behaviors, and meeting basic needs. This creates children with positive self-images, self-worth, and the ability to make healthy decisions for their lives, including the ability to resist the urge to use drugs and alcohol.

Due to the legality of alcohol, we often forget the dangerous effects it causes to the human body, especially the developing brain. Ethanol (drinking alcohol), a neurotoxin, affects the brain causing slurred speech, lack of coordination, blurred vision, delayed reaction times, and memory loss. Neurotoxins are chemicals that harm the way the cells function. While ethanol creates temporary changes to brain functioning, long term exposure or exposure during development can leave permanent neuron destruction. During adolescence, the brain enters a growth spurt where the development of neurons significantly increases. This period of development leaves the adolescent brain vulnerable to long lasting effects to their memory, the ability to learn and make healthy decisions. Furthermore, as neurons create pathways or connections very quickly during this stage, excessive amounts of alcohol during adolescence increases the risk of developing an addiction. Prolonging the onset of alcohol consumption is crucial for creating cognitively and emotionally healthy adults.

Unfortunately, for adolescents during this peak development, the last section of the brain to develop is the frontal lobe or the decision-making part of the brain which leaves them prone to risky and impulsive behaviors. Therefore, early prevention by parents/caretakers is important in helping adolescents remain drug free. Supporting children to feel connected or bonded at home, at school and in their communities decreases the chances of early experimentation with drugs and alcohol. By working together in prevention efforts, we can protect adolescent brain development and secure a future with healthy adults and stronger communities.

Sources:

Lees B, Meredith LR, Kirkland AE, Bryant BE, Squeglia LM. Effect of alcohol use on the adolescent brain and behavior. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2020 May;192:172906. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172906. Epub 2020 Mar 13. PMID: 32179028; PMCID: PMC7183385