Generations of parents have had to work out how to talk to their kids about sex.

Starting with the those who came of age in the 1960s, they also have had to work out how to talk to their kids about illegal drugs they may have used.

This column, 18 and Under, is by Perri Klass, M.D., a pediatrician and author.

Scientific knowledge about the brain, such as how it develops and how it functions over time, has expanded. These new discoveries make it easier to make the conversation informational rather personal. Parents should not lie to children. On the other hand, they are nervous about handing them information which could be used to mean, “Well, they did it..”

Her comments are helpful for parents, regardless of their illegal drug use or the lack of it.

The New York Times

“Doctors, and the parents who look to them for advice, need a way to integrate their standards of honesty with what we know about preventing substance abuse — and with new research that makes it clear we know a lot more today than anyone did when we were young. (Which may help explain some of the dumb decisions made by so many of us, including me.)

“In particular, scientists understand much more about the neurobiology of the teenage brain and the risks of experimenting with drugs and alcohol during adolescence. While we used to think the brain was relatively mature by 16 or 18, in fact it is still developing into the mid-20s.

“What does develop early is the pleasure-seeking area, the nucleus accumbens. The regions that help with abstract thinking, decision-making and judgment are still maturing, and therefore less likely to inhibit the pleasure-seeking behavior. So drugs and alcohol can actually lead to permanent changes in the way the brain works — in particular, many experts think, a greater likelihood of addiction in adulthood.”  (Emphasis added)

Source: New York Times, July 12, 2010