The teenage years are a period of time during which many young people experiment with different things on their way to forming their own identity. Some youth explore changes to their appearance, hobbies they pursue, new relationships (both romantic and platonic), and other areas of interest. This is also the time period during which many young people are first introduced to alcohol and drugs. Young people are often unaware of how these moments of substance misuse contribute to ongoing substance abuse and other negative outcomes. This is one of the reasons why substance abuse prevention is so important during these formative years.