[understanding substance use and abuse]
misuse of substances like alcohol and
drugs is a growing problem in the U.S.
and teens and young adults are most at
risk with half of all new drug users
being under the age of 18 and one in
five high school students having abused
prescription drugs.
additionally, one-third of high school
students currently use alcohol, 23% use
marijuana, and 22% use all forms of
tobacco combined. decision-making in
teens involves a chemical called
dopamine in the brain's reward center.
dopamine helps transmit signals in the
brain that make people feel happy. the
number of brain receptors interacting
with dopamine is higher in adolescents
than at any other time of life. that
means that when a teen is exposed to a
reward, such as a compliment, the reward
center reacts more strongly than it
would for an adult. also, being with
friends increases the sensitivity to
rewards and makes the already sensitive
reward system even more sensitive.
feeling rewards more strongly and
responding more intensely to what peers
may think means that there are
biological reasons for why teens
sometimes decide to do things with their
friends that they would never do on
their own.
this can be positive by encouraging
friends to take on new challenges but it
can also lead to dangerous decisions
such as drug and alcohol use. drug use
and abuse can contribute to harmful
short and long-term health risks. in fact,
drug abuse can have long-term effects on
a developing teenage brain. MRI scans of
the brain have shown that people who
have been using drugs for a long time
have a smaller prefrontal cortex than
people who have not been using drugs. the prefrontal cortex is the area where
decision-making occurs. drug use can
result in poor grades, memory loss, and
social problems. a lot of us have an idea
about what a person dependent on drugs
looks like. however, anyone can suffer
from this type of addiction. addiction
doesn't depend on income, job, 
race, or color. it is a disease of the
brain that can happen to anyone.
drug dependency is when a person
consumes alcohol or drugs regularly
despite the fact that it causes issues
in their life and relationships with
others. get help if you need it. encourage
your friends to get help too.
if you or someone you love is struggling
with drug use or abuse call -800-662-HELP or visit www.easyread.drugabuse.gov
