Social Pressure to Drink (04:26)

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Two teens arrive at a party. They give in to the social pressure to drink. This choice leads to intoxication. The male teen sees his drinking as a path to his upward mobility in his social hierarchy.

Drunk Driving (02:54)

Teens leave a party where both had been drinking heavily. The boy claims he can drive. He crashes the car and dies. One in five teens binge drink, and only one in one hundred parents believes his or her teen binge drinks.

Credits: Peer Pressure and Choosing to Drink: Think About It (01:47)

Credits: Peer Pressure and Choosing to Drink: Think About It

Teenage Brain (02:33)

Psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Strakowski describes how the teenage brain grows and functions. The prefrontal cortex is designed to manage emotions, particularly in a social context. Most decisions are made emotionally rather than logically.

Bonding Issues with Teens (02:14)

The job of a teenager is to break with his or her parents and become an independent being. In the transition, the parental bond is replaced with a peer group bond. Most teens are reluctant to break with their peers by making independent choices.

Pleasure Centers of the Brain (01:47)

Drugs, alcohol, and sex activate pleasure centers in a teen's brain. This kind of reinforcement often encourages teens to repeat the events even though they are risky. Addicts continue the behaviors even though they are no longer pleasurable.

Risky vs. Healthy Behaviors (02:01)

Adults can help teens learn to get pleasure from healthy behaviors instead of risky behaviors. The prefrontal cortex of the brain processes different decisions to the degree that the brain is developing.

Genetic Vulnerability (01:05)

Some teens have a genetic vulnerability for addiction that they do not have control over. Teens who make good decisions tend to be those who have relationships with adults who give them a place to feel safe and secure behind their decisions.