It is believed 16 is the pivotal year for adolescents, who face increasing peer pressure to experiment with drugs and alcohol, while being “afforded a greater degree of adult status by their parents.”  After 18, risks for alcohol and marijuana decline and by age 22 the risk has nearly ended.

http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/articles/when-do-people-start-using-alcohol-and-drugs

This gives me a idea of the ages drug and alcohol abuse affects people which i could make a possible question.

12:00AM BST 16 Apr 2001

THE key to keeping teenagers drug-free is encouraging involvement in sport and early checking of anti-social behaviour, a new study has found.

Almost 4,000 adolescents in England, Ireland, Germany, Italy and Holland were questioned about their lifestyles. A higher rate of substance abuse was found by youths in the UK and Ireland. In areas where there was most risk in England and Ireland, stable family backgrounds were no longer a safeguard against boys becoming involved in drugs.

Girls in traditional families were more restrained and limited their contact with older boys who may otherwise have influenced them. The teenagers were asked if they had taken cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy, tranquillisers or LSD. Of the five cities surveyed, Newcastle had the highest rate of drug use at 29.8 per cent; followed by Dublin at 29.7; Bremen with 22.9; Rome 22.9 per cent and Groningen with 19 per cent.

Dr Paul McArdle, of Newcastle University's Department of Child Health, led a 13-strong European Commission-funded team examining international variations in drug use among youths. It looked into the effect of the behaviour of individuals, peer and family influences and geographical factors.

For boys and girls, a strong correlation was found between sport and a reduced incidence of involvement with drugs. Delinquent behaviour was closely linked with a greater risk of drug use. The report concluded that drug-taking was not regarded as normal behaviour despite its prevalence.

The report said: "While significant numbers of young people use drugs in the absence of major risk factors, drug use should not be regarded as an inevitable or likely phase of mid-adolescent development."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1316280/Sport-can-keep-teenagers-off-drugs.html

this is just some facts and a insight into how sport can influence you away from drugs

Family-Based Prevention Programs—Parents’ ability to influence whether their children drink is well documented and is consistent across racial/ethnic groups (67,68). Setting clear rules against drinking, consistently enforcing those rules, and monitoring the child’s behavior all help to reduce the likelihood of underage drinking. The Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP), delivered when students were in grade 6, is a program that has shown long-lasting preventive effects on alcohol use (69,70).

https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AA67/AA67.htm

his gives me a good idea of similar programs running so i have a idea about the problems if my interviewee has been through a prevention program.

Overall, alcohol is detrimental to sports performance because of how it affects the body during exercise. It does this in two main ways.

Firstly, because alcohol is a diuretic, drinking too much can lead to dehydration because the alcohol makes your kidney produce more urine. Exercising soon after drinking alcohol can make this dehydration worse because you sweat as your body temperature rises. Combined, sweating and the diuretic effect of exercise make dehydration much more likely. You need to be hydrated when you exercise to maintain the flow of blood through your body, which is essential for circulating oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.

“Dehydration leads to reduced performance," says Professor Greg Whyte, an expert in sports performance. “Hydration also helps control your body temperature so you’re more likely to overheat if you’ve been drinking alcohol.”

Secondly, alcohol interferes with the way your body makes energy. When you’re metabolising, or breaking down alcohol, the liver can’t produce as much glucose, which means you have low levels of blood sugar. Exercise requires high levels of sugar to give you energy. If your liver isn’t producing enough glucose, your performance will be adversely affected. “If your body is forced to run from your supplies of fat rather than blood sugar, you will be slower and have less energy and won’t be able to exercise as intensely,” says Professor Whyte. As a result, your coordination, dexterity, concentration and reactions could be adversely affected too.

Both of these effects are immediate which is why it’s not advised to exercise or compete in sport soon after drinking alcohol.

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/lifestyle/can-alcohol-affect-sports-performance-and-fitness-levels/

his tells me the actually effects on the body so if an interviewee is talking about any of these i al;ready have the knowledge to keep a conversation going.

BREATHING
Depressant drugs such as cannabis, alcohol and opiates, slow down your breathing. Cannabis reduces your lung capacity, so it’s harder to get the oxygen your muscles need during sport. Opiates, such heroin and codeine, slow down your breathing and narrow your airways. This makes it harder to breathe and reduces your breathing at a time when your body needs extra oxygen.

HEART RATE
Stimulant drugs, such as cocaine, ecstasy and speed, increase your heart rate and put undue stress on your heart. Cocaine can cause heart attack and abnormal heart rhythm. When you use speed, the lack of blood to your heart can cause angina (severe chest pain). Depressants such as alcohol slow down your heart rate, meaning less oxygen-rich blood reaches your muscles.

MUSCLES
The last thing you want during sport is to disrupt your co-ordination and relax your muscles. Depressants such as cannabis reduce your motor activity so it’s hard to co-ordinate your movements during sport. Alcohol is high in calories so you may start piling on the weight. Stimulants increase your movements so you are more likely to injure yourself during sport. Cocaine at higher doses can act as an anaesthetic so you can’t feel pain and may play on after an injury, causing even more damage.

CONCENTRATION
Depressants like cannabis, alcohol and opiates affect your alertness and concentration, so you are slower to react. Stimulants, such as cocaine, speed and ecstasy can make you irritable and restless – making you less focused on the game.

SENSES
Hallucinogens like cannabis and magic mushrooms can play havoc with your senses. They affect your sights and sounds, which could disrupt your performance.

PAIN
Some depressants, such as alcohol, cause mild anaesthesia or loss of feeling, so you may not notice when you’re injured. This can lead to delays in getting rapid treatment and in recovery.

BRAIN & BEHAVIOUR
Stimulants, such as cocaine and speed, can keep you awake so you don’t get the rest you need and this can affect your performance. They also decrease your appetite when you should be replacing calories after using so much energy. Side effects also include confusion, delirium and paranoia. At higher doses stimulants can cause you to become irritable and aggressive, they can also cause blood vessels in the brain to rupture leading to convulsions.

http://www.drugs.ie/drugs_info/about_drugs/drugs_sport/

This tells me the actually effects on the body so if an interviewee is talking about any of these i al;ready have the knowledge to keep a conversation going.