Because the adolescent brain is very different from the adult brain, it is much more vulnerable to being harmed and permanently altered by alcohol and drugs. Teens need to make choices that will leave their brains healthy and powerful; their dreams wide open and lead them to happy relationships and a lifetime of success!
The brain communicates through nerve cells called neurons that send and receive chemical messages.
Here’s how it works. If a thought, feeling, or action is repeated often, the sending neuron release a larger amount of chemical each time. The receiving neuron grows new branches and more receptors to receive the larger chemical message. Soon, the behavior becomes automatic and subconscious. That’s why playing the piano is very difficult for a beginner. However, by choosing to practice, the brain’s chemical structure is re-wired, and playing becomes automatic.
The wonderful thing about the human brain is that it can change and grow whenever new things are learned. But unfortunately, developing brains are also more susceptible to damage from outside influences, such as alcohol and other substances. Meaning that substance use during the teen years creates a more specific risk for immediate and lasting harm to the brain and can alter that teen’s life forever.
Would you like to make a difference and help save our children from substance abuse? Please attend a public forum at the Winn Parish Library on June 7th at 5:30 pm. Refreshments will be served, but more importantly, connections will be made.
#Education + Engagement = Triumph Over Addiction!
This project is funded by a Substance and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program Grant from The Rapides Foundation. The goal of the grant is to support the implementation of evidence-based, community-driven solutions for preventing substance and alcohol abuse.
