TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Alcohol and other drug prevention for older adolescents: it's a no brainer
JO  - Drug and alcohol review
A1  - Debenham, Jennifer
A1  - Newton, Nicola
A1  - Birrell, Louise
A1  - Askovic, Mina
SP  - 327
EP  - 330
VL  - 38
IS  - 4
N2  - Older adolescence represents a critical period of brain development whereby the prefrontal cortex, responsible for higher level thinking and emotional regulation, is under construction. During this period, the brain is wired to underestimate risk and overestimate pleasure, which primes young people towards risky, pleasure-oriented experiences. Substance use during this time can hinder brain maturation and lead to development related disorders. However, young people are the most likely to drink at risky quantities, use cannabis, MDMA and cocaine in the previous 12 months than any other age group. Despite this, there are no validated, age-appropriate prevention programs targeting school leavers, which leaves a group of young people to navigate a landscape where drug use is the most common, without formal support. Drug and alcohol prevention programs should be developed for this age group that combine features of universal prevention programs and targeted intervention programs to support the wider range of drug use behaviours relevant to this older audience. This article outlines potential evidence-based strategies that programs could focus on in the future.<br><br>© 2019 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0959-5236
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.12914
ID  - ref1
ER  -