The impact of alcohol on the adolescent brain
Dr. Andrew Rochford
The brain is our control centre. It directs all the functions that go on in our body - conscious and unconscious. Arguably, a healthy brain is our most valuable asset.
We once thought the teenage brain was the same as an adult brain that it had reached full development and finished growing by the time puberty had kicked in. But now the latest brain science is telling us a very different story.
From the age of 12 or 13 through to the early 20s, the brain is in a state of intense development, moulding and hardwiring in readiness for the challenges of adulthood ahead. Through a process called ‘frontalisation’, the brain is busy forming all the critical parts it needs for learning, memory, planning, emotional stability and thinking for the rest of life.
Once this development phase is complete, at around about 23 or 24 years of age, the brain’s capacity is fixed and cannot be changed. The development period is therefore vitally important and anything that interferes with this is obviously bad news.
Alcohol disrupts brain development. Teenagers who drink alcohol risk their brains not reaching full capacity, which means they might never reach their full potential as an adult. It’s that simple!
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