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A Teen’s Brain: The Answer to the “What in the World Were You Thinking?”

Even the brightest kid in the world does not have the same ability as an adult to assess risk and consequence. That’s because the part of a teen’s brain that processes risk, the frontal cortex, doesn't finish developing until a child is well into his mid-twenties. We see the unsafe or silly choices kids make at school sometimes and can attest to this!

What You Say Does Make a Difference

The good news for parents is that studies tracking teen attitudes toward drugs reveal that one of the most critical influences on kids’ decisions about taking drugs is the input of parents. In fact, kids who say they learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs.

For the “Who, What, and Why” on your teen’s brain and helpful hints on how to talk to them about the dangers of cough medicine abuse, visit A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain.

 

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