In conjunction with these numerous brain transformations, shifting social influences and peer group affiliation heavily impact adolescent behaviors 19, 20. This may place youth at a particularly heightened risk for initiating and continuing alcohol and drug use. Specifically, transformations in the prefrontal regions and limbic systems are thought to contribute to increased risk taking and novelty/sensation seeking behaviors 21, 22. The neuromaturation and neurochemical changes that are present during this period correspond to a range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes, and are hypothesized to contribute to adolescents’ increased propensity for alcohol and drug use 23.
