Factors affecting thinking and reasoning

Risk taking behaviours for example, drinking alcohol and using drugs can directly affect the adolescent's ability to think and to reason.

Whilst illicit drug use has generally fallen in the U.K. population in recent years, the use by individuals aged between 16 to 19 years is around double that of the wider population, with the most commonly abused drugs including cannabis, ecstasy and powder cocaine.

If the ability to reason is compromised, then the adolescent can be placing themselves in potentially dangerous situations without being able to assess the danger.