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Substance Use & Brain Development
Risk factors increase the likelihood that a youth will be susceptible to use substances, while protective factors decrease this likelihood. While it’s impossible to eliminate all risk factors for every youth, prevention seeks to lower the amount of risk factors and increase the amount of protective factors. Many of these factors are connected and are not limited to just one area of a youth’s life. Take a look at this diagram to understand more about what some risk and protective factors are.
The human brain is still developing until the age 25.
Drug Facts
Tobacco/Nicotine
Early exposure to nicotine during the transition from child to adult may be harmful, since it may derange the normal course of brain maturation and have lasting consequences for cognitive ability, mental health, and even personality.
Nicotine is harmful to developing brains and its use during adolescence can disrupt the formation of brain circuits that control attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction.
Nicotine exposure in its many forms can adversely affect adolescents:
- Affects key brain receptors, making young people more susceptible to nicotine addiction.
- Young people who have never smoked previously and began using e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.
- Vaping is significantly associated with higher levels of ADHD symptoms, based on a 2019 study of college students.
- Studies have shown that nicotine can worsen anxiety symptoms and amplify feelings of depression.
- Nicotine use — whether through smoking or vaping — can increase stress levels.
Marijuana
Marijuana use directly affects brain function — specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time.
Long-term effects of Marijuana use:
- Lower IQ score in adulthood
- Learning and memory impairment
- Altered responses to pleasure and stress
- Increase risk for psychosis including schizophrenia
- Risk of developing a dependency on other drugs
Alcohol
The earlier a person starts drinking alcohol at harmful levels, the greater the risk of changing the development of the brain. This can lead to problems with memory and learning and increases the risk of having alcohol-related problems later in life.
This can result in:
- Slurred Speech
- Confusion
- Poor Vision
- Poor Muscle Control and Judgment
- Slower Reactions
- Lack of Coordination
- Sleep Disruption
Perscription Drugs
Prescription opioids activate receptors in the brain and decrease its pain signals. This receptor interaction is also associated with a release of dopamine into the brain. This can result in feelings of euphoria, elation, or pleasure. When dopamine is released, other areas of the brain react, creating a memory and associates it with pleasure.
Some potential short-term, neurological effects of opioids include:
- Mood changes.
- Depression.
- Drowsiness.
- Impaired memory, judgment, and attention.
Over the long term, prescription drug abuse will affect the brain in the following ways:
- Tolerance: Higher and more doses will need to be taken to achieve the same effects.
- Drug dependence: Withdrawal symptoms such as depression, insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, and irritability can be unpleasant. The individual may decide to continue taking the drugs to avoid these withdrawal symptoms in an attempt to appear to function ‘normally.’