This briefing paper is part of a mini-series on the ‘Brain Under Construction’ aimed at helping professionals better understand the young people they support. It is well established that substance use has negative consequences for the brain (Oscar-Berman & Marinkovic, 2003). Now, with the advancement of neuro-imaging, we can see that not only does alcohol affect different regions of the brain in different ways, but it influences us differently depending on our age. It is now evident that alcohol directly and significantly alters our brain chemistry. This briefing paper provides a snapshot of alcohol’s effects on the brain and explains the science behind what happens when we consume one of the most widely used drugs in the world.
This briefing paper is part of a series produced by Mentor-ADEPIS on alcohol and drug education and prevention, for teachers and practitioners.
Other resources you may find interesting:
- The Brain Under Construction [1] – A window into the developing brain
- The Adolescent Brain – Wired for taking risks
- School-based alcohol and drug education and prevention – what works?
- Preventing Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Substance Misuse Problems
- Psychoactive Substances – What schools need to know about the new law
- Life-skills based education for alcohol and drug prevention
- Delivering alcohol and drug education: advice for teachers
- Building resilience and character in young people
- Early intervention and prevention
- Making it inclusive: Alcohol and drug education in multicultural settings
- ‘Legal Highs’ and Novel Psychoactive Substances
- Efficient needs assessment in schools
- E-cigarettes and Nicotine Containing Products (NCPs)
- Identifying and supporting children affected by parental substance use
- Caffeine and energy drinks
- Four questions to ask as school governor
