Vaping, alcohol, weed and counterfeit pills: the substance talk for right now

A lot of us got some version of the same drug talk growing up. A scary video, a cop visiting the school, maybe a fried egg on TV. It didn't do much then. It'll do even less now, because the landscape has changed and kids can smell a scare tactic from across the room.

What works better is the same thing that works everywhere else on this site: honest information, from a parent who stays calm enough that the kid keeps coming back.

Vaping

There's some genuinely good news here. According to CDC and FDA data, current e-cigarette use among middle and high schoolers fell from 7.7% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2024, about a third of where it peaked in 2019. So if your kid says "everyone vapes," they're wrong, and you can tell them so.

Still, the kids who do vape often get hooked. Among current youth users, 26.3% vaped every day, and 87.6% used flavored products, with fruit and candy flavors at the top. Those flavors aren't an accident.

Talk about how nicotine works on a developing brain and how fast dependence can set in. Ask what they've seen at school. And if they've already tried it, skip the explosion and ask how it's going. Plenty of teens who vape want to quit and don't know how to say so.

Alcohol

The NIAAA lists the reasons kids drink in plain terms: peer pressure, wanting independence, and stress. It also points out that many kids get alcohol at home or through family.

A couple of facts are worth passing on. Teens hit a dangerous blood alcohol level on fewer drinks than adults. NIAAA says as few as three drinks for girls and three to five for boys, depending on age and size. People who start drinking before 15 are also at higher risk for alcohol problems later on. And the brain keeps developing well into the twenties.

NIAAA lists family-based approaches among the ones that work: parents setting and enforcing clear rules against drinking, and talking openly about alcohol. So it's worth being clear about your house rule, and about why. Lock up or count what's in the house. Then add one more thing: the safe-ride promise from our car keys article. If they or their driver has been drinking, they call you, and you come.

Weed

With cannabis legal for adults in many states, a lot of teens see it as basically harmless. You don't have to exaggerate to push back. The CDC says marijuana affects judgment, coordination and reaction time, and that its use before driving is linked to a higher crash risk.

Be honest if you used. Teens respect that more than a cover story. "I did, and here's what I wish I'd known" opens more doors than "never."

Counterfeit pills and fentanyl

This is the part that's truly new, and it's the one every teen needs to hear, even the kids you'd never worry about.

The DEA warns that criminal networks are mass-producing fake pills made to look like real prescriptions, such as oxycodone, Xanax and Adderall. They're easy to buy, often sold through social media, and they often contain fentanyl or meth. The DEA says 2 milligrams of fentanyl, about the amount on the tip of a pencil, can be a deadly dose. And you can't tell a fake by looking at it.

So the message is simple and absolute: the only safe pill is one prescribed to you and filled by a pharmacist. Not a friend's Adderall before finals. Not a "Xanax" someone bought online. Not anything from a social media dealer, however legit the account looks.

It's also worth knowing about naloxone (often sold as Narcan). The DEA describes it as a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, and the nasal spray is easy to use. Some families keep it at home, and some teens carry it. Talking about it doesn't encourage drug use. It treats your kid like someone who might one day save a friend.

How to have the conversation

Pick low-pressure moments: a news story, a show, a drive. Ask before you tell. "What do kids at school say about vapes?" gets you more than any speech.

Give them an out they can use with friends. "My mom drug tests," even if you don't. "I've got a game tomorrow." Teens often want a reason that saves face.

And stay connected, generally. The CDC's 2023 survey found that high parental monitoring (parents usually knowing where their teen is and who they're with) went along with lower rates of persistent sadness and suicidal thoughts. Researchers suspect that kind of monitoring partly reflects good communication. It's the same with substances. The kid who tells you where they're going is also the kid who'll call you from the party.

Frequently asked questions

Should I tell my teen if I used drugs?

Many experts say honesty helps if it's age-appropriate. "Here's what I wish I'd known" opens more doors than pretending.

Should we keep naloxone at home?

Some families do. Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose, and the nasal spray is easy to use. Ask your pharmacist.

What if I find a vape in my kid's room?

Stay calm and ask about it. Many teens who vape want to quit, and anger tends to shut down the conversation.