Introduction
Adolescence: What, why    and when?
Adolescent brain    development
Adolescent substance use
Alcohol affects adolescents    differently
Long-term effects
Summary
References

   
Introduction
        Adolescence, broadly defined as the second
decade of life, is the period of time during which
many people begin to use alcohol and other
drugs, and often do so heavily. According to
the 2002 Monitoring the Future survey, roughly
30% of 12th graders reported drinking five or
more drinks in a row in the two weeks before
being surveyed (Johnston et al, 2003). This
pattern of heavy, intermittent drinking is also
prevalent among college students (White et al,
2002a) and young military personnel (Bray, 1996). While levels of alcohol use among adolescents remain high, the perceived risk associated with such use appears to be declining. From 1992 to 2002, the percentage of 12th graders perceiving "great risk of harm" associated with drinking four or five drinks per day, nearly everyday, dropped from 71% to 59% (Johnston et al, 2003).  It does not appear that adolescent alcohol abuse is a problem that will soon disappear.
        High levels of drinking among adolescents are particularly troubling given recent evidence that, in contrast to long-held assumptions, a tremendous amount of structural and functional brain development takes place during the teenage years (Geidd et al., 1999; for review see Spear, 2000;2002). Evidence is accruing that alcohol, and perhaps other drugs, impact brain function and behavior differently during adolescence than during adulthood. Further, preliminary data suggest that adolescents might be more vulnerable than adults to impairments following repeated alcohol exposure.
        The purpose of this summary is to briefly discuss recent findings regarding adolescent substance use, adolescent brain development, and the impact of alcohol on adolescent behavior and brain function.
 
   
   
 
   
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Adolescence: What, why and when?