The Prevention Leaders Podcast
One Choice | Reducing Adult Addiction Must Begin with Youth Prevention [#25]
59 min
Listen on SpotifySummary
This episode discusses how adult addiction often begins during the teenage years due to the developing teen brain's vulnerability to substance use. It introduces the "One Choice" concept, which reframes youth prevention as promoting no use of any alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, or other drugs by youth under age 21 for health reasons. This approach recognizes that using one substance significantly increases the likelihood of using others.
Key takeaways
- Most adult substance use disorders begin before age 18.
- The developing teen brain is uniquely vulnerable to substance use.
- Early substance initiation increases the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder.
- Youth substance use is interconnected; using one substance increases the likelihood of using others.
- The "One Choice" prevention message advocates for no use of any substances by youth under 21 for health.
Show notes
Most addiction is rooted in the teenage years: 9 in 10 all adults with substance use disorders began using one or more drugs like alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana before the age of 18. A key reason for this is the unique vulnerability of the still-developing teen brain to substance use. The earlier substance use is initiated, the more likely an individual is to develop a substance use disorder. And if teens use one substance, they are far more likely to use others as well.
My guests today are bringing a new context to youth prevention messaging. There’s just One Choice. Youth substance use prevention efforts are often focused on individual substances, specific settings (e.g., impaired driving), and even specific amounts (e.g., binge drinking). While specific prevention messages are useful, they lack the context of the common patterns of substance use reported by youth. Nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health show that for young people, all substance use (and non-use) is closely related: among youth aged 12-17, the use of any one substance, alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana, significantly increases the likelihood of using the other two substances and other illicit drugs. Similarly, not using any one substance significantly reduces the likelihood of using any other substances.
Rooted in the science of the vulnerable developing brain, the goal of youth prevention can be reframed as, One Choice: no use of any alcohol, nicotine, marijuana. or other drugs by youth under age 21 for reasons of health.
One Choice is a message of hope and science.
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