Jessica Lahey on Preventing Substance Abuse in Kids

Apr 5, 2021

Jessica Lahey, the author of "The Gift of Failure" and "The Addiction Inoculation," dives deep into preventing substance abuse in kids. She shares strategies for fostering open conversations about addiction and the importance of resilience. Lahey discusses parenting techniques that combine empathy with boundaries. Personal stories reveal the impact of the pandemic on youth mental health and how changing environments affect children's choices. Listeners gain insights into recognizing risk signs and promoting healthy habits in a culture of dependence.

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ANECDOTE

Jessica Lahey's Story

Jessica Lahey shares her personal journey with alcohol, abstaining in youth, then developing a problem in her 40s.
Her father, also in recovery, ultimately called her out on her drinking, leading to her sobriety.

INSIGHT

Pandemic Impact on Teens

Pandemic restrictions have heightened feelings of helplessness and lack of control in teens, increasing their risk for substance abuse.
Elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are observed among young people due to the pandemic.

INSIGHT

Challenges of Digital Learning

Digital learning disconnects students due to a lack of emotional connection, relevance, and engagement.
Teachers struggle to adapt classroom techniques to online formats, and social cues are lost, impacting learning.

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How do we equip kids with the tools they need to avoid substance abuse? How can we identify a teen who is at risk? And what can be done to prevent our young ones from developing dependency issues?

Every parent is haunted by these questions, myself included. To get answers, I did what you do when you host a podcast—I turn to the experts.

Meet Jessica Lahey.

Returning for her second appearance on the show, Jess is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a J.D. concentrating on juvenile and education law from the University of North Carolina. She’s an English and writing teacher, a commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

Best known as the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure—a non-negotiable must read for every parent and the focus of our first podcast (RRP #282)—Jess also co-hosts the popular #AmWriting podcast alongside fellow podcast alum KJ Dell’Antonia (RRP #396).

But the primary focus of today’s discussion is her hot off the press second book, The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.

This is a conversation about how to have those difficult conversations with your kids about alcoholism and drug addiction.

It’s about how to effectively guide our young ones through the perils of substance exploration, dependency, and abuse.

And most of all, it’s about arming parents with invaluable, evidence-based strategies and practical tools helpful in raising, supporting, and educating resilient, addiction-resistant children.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll593

YouTube: bit.ly/jessicalahey593

As someone who has done battle with the demons of alcoholism, and as a dad of four delicately parenting two teens, this terrain isn’t just a useful lens on developmental psychology, it’s of particular personal pertinence.

Whether or not you’re a parent, chances are there’s at least one young person in your life currently in jeopardy for substance dependence. It’s thus incumbent upon all of us to better understand the nature of that risk—and how to effectively guide the young ones among us towards safe harbor.

May this conversation serve that purpose—because Jess understands the delicate nature of this dynamic better than anyone I know.

Peace + Plants,

Rich