{"id":20020,"date":"2025-10-18T16:15:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T15:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=20020"},"modified":"2026-01-11T18:01:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T17:01:49","slug":"how-to-raise-sober-kids-outweigh-risks-with-prevention-expert-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2025\/10\/how-to-raise-sober-kids-outweigh-risks-with-prevention-expert-says\/","title":{"rendered":"How to raise sober kids? Outweigh risks with prevention, expert says"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"header\">\n<div class=\"header-bottom\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<nav class=\"navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light align-items-lg-center justify-content-lg-between\">\n<div class=\"header-bottom_left d-flex align-items-center\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><a class=\"navbar-brand d-md-flex align-items-md-center\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nctv17.org\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"header-logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nctv17.org\/wp-content\/themes\/nctv17\/library\/images\/header-logo.png\" alt=\"NCTV17\" width=\"62\" height=\"65\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"header-bottom_left d-flex align-items-center\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"web-title d-none d-md-inline-block\" style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Naperville Community Television<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"navbarSupportedContent\" class=\"d-lg-flex align-items-lg-center align-self-lg-stretch justify-content-lg-center collapse navbar-collapse\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-set=\"bs\">\n<div id=\"main-nav\" class=\"js-append-around align-self-lg-stretch\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"search-overlay\" class=\"\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"overlay-container\">\n<div class=\"overlay-content\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12 search\">\n<form id=\"searchform\" role=\"search\" action=\"https:\/\/www.nctv17.org\/\" method=\"get\">\n<div class=\"form-group\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">by Marie Wilson, NCTV17 &#8211; September 30, 2025<\/span><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"page-single\" class=\"inside-page single\">\n<div id=\"main\" class=\"main\">\n<div class=\"single-body\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<div class=\"single-body_wrap d-lg-flex align-items-lg-start justify-content-lg-between\">\n<article id=\"post-166370\" class=\"single-post pr-lg-5 pb-3 post-166370 post type-post status-publish format-image has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news post_format-post-format-image\" role=\"article\">\n<div class=\"single-post_media\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 byline pb-4 align-middle\">\n<div class=\"row align-middle align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-auto\">\n<div class=\"addtoany_shortcode\">\n<div class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" data-a2a-url=\"https:\/\/www.nctv17.org\/news\/how-to-raise-sober-kids-outweigh-risks-with-prevention-expert-says\/\" data-a2a-title=\"How to raise sober kids? Outweigh risks with prevention, expert says\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"single-post_content pb-4\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">In a world where alcoholic drinks are seemingly ever-present and sold by even the makers of Sunny D and Mountain Dew, it can seem like a daunting task to raise kids who can withstand the societal pressures and avoid the harms of substance use disorder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">But a recent speaker in the\u00a0<a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/gpsparentseries.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GPS Parent Series<\/a>\u00a0broke down the science of prevention and offered tips parents can use to help their children grow up to be competent, engaged, and sober.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Jessica Lahey, an author, educator, and substance use prevention expert, shared best practices from her research, focusing on risk factors for substance use disorder and ways parents can use a basic understanding of the adolescent brain to help young people steer clear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">\u201cRisk and prevention is like the scales of justice,\u201d Lahey said. \u201cIf your risk is really heavy, then your protections will have to be heavier to zero those out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Risk factors for substance use disorder<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">While there is no single \u201caddiction gene,\u201d Lahey \u2014 who has been in recovery from alcohol use disorder for the past 10 years \u2014 said genetics accounts for between 50 and 60% of a person\u2019s risk for developing substance use disorder. Another major risk factor is occurrences known as ACEs, or adverse childhood experiences \u2014 things like neglect, abandonment, physical or sexual abuse, trauma, violence, separation, or divorce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">But Lahey also pointed out several lesser-known risk factors, including early childhood aggression, under-managed learning differences, academic failure, social ostracism or identifying as LGBTQ+. Certain time periods can bring about higher risk as well, such as transitional phases like summers, moves between schools, or the weeks and months when a divorce is taking place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Prevention tips to raise sober kids<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Lahey\u2019s talks to the GPS audience, including several groups hosting watch parties, were full of proven prevention tactics that help youth not only avoid alcohol and drugs \u2014 but protect their developing brains in the process. Here are five of the top strategies she shared:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Start early:<\/b>\u00a0As early as preschool, parents can start talking about substance safety with things like toothpaste and adult medicines to help children learn \u201cto be safe about what you\u2019re eating, and what you\u2019re not putting in your body,\u201d Lahey said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Understand the adolescent brain:\u00a0<\/b>\u201cThe adolescent brain is wired for novelty,\u201d Lahey said. So when a risk factor occurs, such as moving or starting a new school, parents can reframe this to meet their teen\u2019s need for encountering new things. This allows teens to feel \u201chits of dopamine, mastery and competence that give a boost to their brain,\u201d Lahey said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Know that drinking is different for adolescents:<\/b>\u00a0Because brain development is still taking place until the early 20s, youth brains are wired to weigh the potential positives of a situation more heavily than the risks. Research proves teens are more likely to engage in risky behavior if they believe their peers are watching, Lahey said. And they\u2019re less likely to understand how impaired they are if they do start drinking. This can be a dangerous mix, but parents can counteract it by emphasizing the value of brain development. \u201cYour brain is too important to mess with,\u201d Lahey said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Have a clear and consistent message:<\/b>\u00a0Delaying drug or alcohol use can allow ample time for healthy brain development, and Lahey said this results in a major decrease in lifelong risk for substance use disorder. So, the message from parents should be, \u201cI just need you to delay,\u201d she said. This can help create a family culture in which drinking isn\u2019t an option until it\u2019s legal. If teens don\u2019t like that rule because it feels arbitrary, Lahey encourages parents to try this line about drinking: \u201cNo. Not until your brain is done developing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Be preventive, not permissive:<\/b>\u00a0Behaviors that create a permissive culture around alcohol, such as allowing children and teens to take sips of alcoholic beverages in the home, or hosting parties where young people are allowed to drink, have been proven to increase risk for substance use disorder \u2014 not encourage moderation, Lahey said. \u201cIt is not inevitable that kids are going to drink,\u201d she said. \u201cPermissiveness results in kids with much higher levels of substance use disorder.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><b>Parenting with the science of prevention<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\">Jordan Esser, Project Coordinator of the DuPage County Prevention Leadership Team, introduced Lahey before the free online talks she gave on Sept. 25 and thanked her for sharing \u201cthe science of motivation, parenting and substance abuse prevention \u2014 because we as adults have the power to help our kids become more competent and fulfilled.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong>Source: https:\/\/www.nctv17.org\/news\/how-to-raise-sober-kids-outweigh-risks-with-prevention-expert-says\/<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Naperville Community Television by Marie Wilson, NCTV17 &#8211; September 30, 2025 In a world where alcoholic drinks are seemingly ever-present and sold by even the makers of Sunny D and Mountain Dew, it can seem like a daunting task to raise kids who can withstand the societal pressures and avoid the harms of substance use [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,63,40,19,61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alcohol","category-brain-and-behaviour","category-prevention-research","category-usa","category-youth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20020"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20028,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20020\/revisions\/20028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}