InnerAct Alliance is committed to prevention education to help delay onset of use of the gateway drugs of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. We're happy to recommend factual resources to support youth and families and encourage you to look at some exciting new informational offerings from the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA):
NIAAA Website for Teens, Facts About Teen Drinking, offers research-based information on underage drinking. Alcohol misuse during the teen years may cause negative short and long-term effects as well as physical changes in the brain during development that could result in the reduced size and function of the frontal lobe (planning and decision-making), hippocampus (memory), amygdala (fear-sensing), and corpus callosum (communication). The earlier youth begin drinking alcohol, the more likely the negative impact may be.
NIAAA Virtual Reality (VR) module, Alcohol and Your Brain, engages and educates young audiences about the harmful effects that alcohol misuse may have on their growing brain. Designed for Oculus Quest, Quest 2, or Mega Quest Pro headsets, this VR activity takes users on a virtual rollercoaster ride through the brain with stops to illustrate alcohol's harmful effects on the prefrontal cortex, nucleau accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum.
YouTube Video version of Alcohol and Your Brain is available for Parents and Educators to share with middle school students on any computer or mobile device to spark conversation about harmful effects of alcohol and how to avoid substance use to keep their growing brains and bodies healthy.
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