Reducing underage alcohol, tobacco and drug use among the youth while simultaneously fostering a culture of health, safety and well-being was the primary focus during a recent Excelsior Springs Substance Abuse Free Environment (SAFE) meeting.Beacon Health Community Prevention Specialist Sierra Thomas delivered a presentation summarizing the brain science of prevention and highlighting key topics to understand prevention.“The brain is not fully developed until about age 25,” said Thomas. “Adolescent brains go through pruning, a process in which connections in the brain that are used the least are reduced or pulled away. It also goes through strengthening where neurons are refined and their connections get thicker.”In infancy, the brain experiences rapid synapse formation, supporting learning and memory. Around age two or three, synapse numbers peak before unnecessary synapses are pruned. This “use it or lose it” process strengthens ac...