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.
But a recent speaker in the GPS Parent Series broke down the science of prevention and offered tips parents can use to help their children grow up to be competent, engaged, and sober.
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.
“Risk and prevention is like the scales of justice,” Lahey said. “If your risk is really heavy, then your protections will have to be heavier to zero those out.”
Risk factors for substance use disorder
While there is no single “addiction gene,” Lahey — who has been in recovery from alcohol use disorder for the past 10 years — said genetics accounts for between 50 and 60% of a person’s risk for developing substance use disorder. Another major risk factor is occurrences known as ACEs, or adverse childhood experiences — things like neglect, abandonment, physical or sexual abuse, trauma, violence, separation, or divorce.
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.
Prevention tips to raise sober kids
Lahey’s 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 — but protect their developing brains in the process. Here are five of the top strategies she shared:
Start early: As early as preschool, parents can start talking about substance safety with things like toothpaste and adult medicines to help children learn “to be safe about what you’re eating, and what you’re not putting in your body,” Lahey said.
Understand the adolescent brain: “The adolescent brain is wired for novelty,” Lahey said. So when a risk factor occurs, such as moving or starting a new school, parents can reframe this to meet their teen’s need for encountering new things. This allows teens to feel “hits of dopamine, mastery and competence that give a boost to their brain,” Lahey said.
Know that drinking is different for adolescents: Because 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’re 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. “Your brain is too important to mess with,” Lahey said.
Have a clear and consistent message: Delaying 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, “I just need you to delay,” she said. This can help create a family culture in which drinking isn’t an option until it’s legal. If teens don’t like that rule because it feels arbitrary, Lahey encourages parents to try this line about drinking: “No. Not until your brain is done developing.”
Be preventive, not permissive: Behaviors 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 — not encourage moderation, Lahey said. “It is not inevitable that kids are going to drink,” she said. “Permissiveness results in kids with much higher levels of substance use disorder.”
Parenting with the science of prevention
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 “the science of motivation, parenting and substance abuse prevention — because we as adults have the power to help our kids become more competent and fulfilled.”
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