During adolescence youngsters are doing a lot of very important social and psychological maturation. They are deciding who they are as individuals, differentiating themselves from their parents and others, developing plans and aspirations in their lives, learning to get along with others and form friendships, and learning to get along with the opposite sex and to be comfortable and confident in their own sexual identity. They are also trying to perform well academically so they will be able to reach some of their long-term goals, such as being admitted to college, performing well in college, and getting a good job. These are important tasks in this stage in life, and being high much of the time is detrimental to completing these tasks. These tasks can also be anxiety provoking, and drugs are often used to escape the anxiety and the tasks, leaving some of the important work of adolescence undone.
Drugs can rob youngsters of energy and the ability to concentrate and perform.
They can lead to a decline of interest in constructive activities and other interests. It's a high price to pay. There are known adverse physical consequences . There are many physical consequences already known to be associated with drugs, and we are learning about more of them every day. Addiction means loss of control.