Adolescence is a critical time in the development of addiction. In the video, the speaker Amir Levine states that using drugs at age 18 compared to age 21 will show varied effects of addiction. Using drugs at a younger age increases the chances of addiction. The speaker talks about his research on the adolescent brain and addiction. He has found that an adolescent’s brain is primed to take on new experiences whether good or bad. Since the brain of an adolescent is already loosen up, Levine reported that at baseline the adolescent brain is much more sensitive to almost any drug of abuse. Therefore if adolescents are exposed to drugs at an early age, they are at a high risk for addiction throughout their adulthood.
