Research shows that children who have strong relationships with their parents are more likely to avoid substances or delay use. Delayed use is important to the developing brain. If our efforts can help a student and you, parents, prolong the age of first use, even by a few months, if not years, that can make a huge difference in the life of a person. The teenage brain is in a dynamic transition until the age of 22 to 27. Introducing any substance can shift the way brain connects and develops, which can have lifelong effects.