Alcohol & Drug use

Alcohol and drug use starts out in the form of peer pressure during the early adolescence stage and can progress into risky behaviors throughout high school and into the late adolescence stages in the college years. 

The use of alcohol and drugs not only affects one's mental health, it also affects one's full brain development. There are more risks for those who start drinking at earlier ages and drinking heavily which can lead to alcohol abuse disorders, neurodegeneration, and "decreased cognition and motor coordination" (Wong et al., 2021). Different risk factors found in some studies  include peer pressure, impulsivity, early identification or presence of psychiatric disorders or mental health problems, isolation, poverty, family structure, and lack of opportunities (Nawi et al. 2021).

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Alcohol and drugs can lead to other risks such as irregular condom use leading to pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases during sexual activity. Other risks include putting yourself and others in harms way as driving under the influence is a big factor and takes many lives each year.