The Teen Brain & Substances
What part of the brain helps you make decisions and control impulses?
Prefrontal cortex
20
Vaping can damage this organ, making it harder to breathe during sports or exercise.
Lungs
What is one strong refusal phrase you can use?
“No thanks, I don’t do that.” / “I’ve got a game tomorrow.”
Why do companies advertise alcohol and vapes on social media?
To make money and target young people
What happens to the brain’s development when teens use drugs or alcohol?
It slows or interrupts healthy brain growth
an aerosol
This body system helps fight illness and can be weakened by vaping.
What is the first step when using refusal skills?
The first step when using refusal skills is to clearly say “no” with confidence — using firm body language and tone to show you mean it.
Seeing friends, celebrities, or influencers vape online can create this false idea that “everyone is doing it.”
Social Norms/Peer Pressure
What kind of drug speeds up the body and brain?
A stimulant
A highly addictive drug found in tobacco and vapes
Nicotine
This problem can happen because nicotine changes how the brain works.
Addiction
A teammate encourages you to stay after practice to train together instead of going to a party where people are drinking.
What type of peer pressure is this, and how could it help your health or goals?
Answer: Positive peer pressure.
How it helps: Encourages healthy choices, supports goals, builds discipline, and avoids risky situations.
What does “responsible decision-making” mean?
Thinking about long-term effects before you act
Which chemical in marijuana affects memory and motivation?
THC
What do vaping companies do to attract teens and make vaping seem harmless?
add flavors and bright packaging
To need a drug/substance to function "normally" is what phase of the addiction process.
Dependance
A friend keeps pressuring another classmate to drink at a weekend party. You notice the classmate looks uncomfortable but doesn’t speak up. What are two things you could do or say to support them and model refusal skills in that situation?
Step in and say something like, “They already said no—let’s drop it.”
Change the topic or suggest another activity (“Let’s just watch the game instead”).
Stay beside your friend to show support so they’re not isolated.
Leave the situation with them.
Reinforce their choice later (“Good job sticking to what’s right for you”).
Give one example of a healthy way to handle stress.
Exercise, music, journaling, talking to someone
Explain one reason why the teenage brain is more likely to become addicted than an adult brain.
The brain’s reward and control centers are still developing, making habits form more easily
This chemical flavoring has been linked to serious lung disease and is sometimes called “popcorn lung.”
Diacyl
Teens who vape are more likely to develop this long‑term lung disease later in life.
COPD (Chronic Lung Disease)
A student promised themselves they’d stay drug-free. At a birthday party, their closest friend offers them a drink and says, “Come on, it’s just one — everyone else is doing it.” The student hesitates and ends up drinking anyway.
nternal pressures: wanting to fit in, fear of judgment, self-doubt, or low confidence.
External pressures: friends offering alcohol, group behavior, social expectations.
Better response: use assertive refusal (firm “no”), remove self from the situation, remind self of goals/values, plan ahead with a support system or exit strategy.
Connection: True refusal skills require recognizing both inside and outside pressures before responding.
When a student confidently says “no,” gives a reason, and walks away after being pressured by friends or social media to vape, they are using this.
Refusal Skill