The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Teenage Mind We all want to have a good time. There are many games and activates that we could do except that the majority of us would rather spend that time losing our minds, literally. On occasion the parties that we may attend will include indulging ourselves in a couple alcoholic beverages. There are also the few who participate by using drugs during this time. We know it is wrong and we continue to do it for our own reasons. Is there a beneficial explanation that can answer why we should not concern ourselves with these pleasures? First I will present you with facts then we can talk reason about the topic. Based on “The Grim Neurology of Teenage Drinking”, there is mounting research that all concludes with more extensive damage due to heavy drinking in a teenage mind than that of a grown adult. When looking at rat subjects the damage included areas of the forebrain and the hippocampus. These are the areas involved with complex idea formation and plasticizing memories. Also those who start drinking before the age of 14 have a high chance of becoming alcohol dependent. Imagine the money that could have been spent on a new computer being blended up into a smoothie so that you can drink it. Then a couple of weeks later forgetting about it and doing it all over again. When intoxicated by alcohol it not only impairs memory formation but also limits motor function; it is very noticeable when someone has been drinking