Addiction and the Brain One-Pager
Addiction is a medical condition that affects the brain and changes behavior. Understanding how addiction impacts the brain is an important step toward preventing substance use disorders, reducing stigma, and supporting individuals on their path to recovery.
Substance use can affect areas of the brain responsible for decision-making, motivation, and reward. Over time, repeated substance use can change how the brain functions, making it increasingly difficult for a person to control their substance use.
Adolescence is a particularly important time for prevention because the brain is still developing, making young people more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol and other drugs.
The good news is that recovery is possible. Research shows that the brain can heal and regain functioning over time with recovery and appropriate treatment.
To help individuals, families, educators, and communities better understand the science of addiction, the Addiction Policy Forum developed the Addiction and the Brain one-pager. This free educational resource explains how substance use affects the brain, why adolescents are particularly vulnerable, and how the brain can recover.
The Addiction Policy Forum's Opioid Prevention Campaign offers additional free, evidence-informed educational materials to help prevent adolescent substance use and equip families, educators, and communities with practical prevention strategies.
Explore our collection of fact sheets, infographics, video explainers, and other resources designed to make the science of addiction and prevention accessible to everyone.
