Why is the teenage brain more susceptible to addiction? 

The teenage brain is more susceptible to addiction because the reward pathways are more sensitive while the decision-making parts of the brain, like the prefrontal cortex, are still developing. This imbalance makes teenagers more likely to engage in experimental behaviors, including drug use, and the heightened sensitivity to rewards makes these behaviors more reinforcing. Consequently, substances or behaviors that trigger these reward pathways can quickly lead to addictive patterns in teenagers.