On the most recent episode of our podcast, Heart of the Matter, host Elizabeth Vargas is joined by New York Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey to discuss her latest book, The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.

The pair connects over the advantages and challenges that come with being a parent in recovery, the benefits of family dinners (even with truculent teens!) and why young people are more susceptible to addiction.

Learn more about what high schoolers wish their parents knew, supporting your child’s mental health and tips for “inoculating” your teen against developing a substance use disorder.

Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and drugfree.org.

Related reading:
After you listen, explore these related resources from Partnership to End Addiction:

Join us for Mental Health Action Day!

We’re proud to join more than 700 brands, nonprofits, government agencies and cultural leaders as a founding partner in the first-ever Mental Health Action Day. This is the day to take action on your own mental health, as well as supporting those you love. From taking a yoga class to reaching out to a friend, taking action on mental health can be easy. If you don’t know where to start, check out our article on self-care, learn more about how mental health challenges may impact your child’s substance use, or reach out for free and confidential help.

Join Partnership to End Addiction in spreading the word using #MentalHealthAction and help us move from a culture of awareness to action. Whether you take that first action for yourself, for your loved ones or for your community — together, we can move the needle on our collective well-being.