The Addiction Inoculation
The Addiction Inoculation:
Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence
with Jessica Lahey
Wednesday, February 15, 7:00 p.m. on Zoom
Jessica Lahey offers an evidence-based exploration of what it means when experts proclaim, “Substance abuse is preventable.” She begins with an overview of why humans use and abuse substances, an explanation of why the adolescent brain is uniquely wired for novelty and the risk of substance use while being uniquely vulnerable to those substances in very specific ways. She will identify the major risk factors for substance abuse and explain what adults can do to overcome the weight of a given child’s risk factors. Lahey offers an overview of the research as well as concrete, practical takeaways adults can use to change their thinking and behavior and begin preventing childhood substance use and abuse at home.
Parents will leave Lahey’s talks feeling informed, challenged, empowered and entertained.
The program is presented by a consortium of 8 local youth serving and prevention organizations including
East Lyme Youth Coalition
Ledyard Prevention Coalition
Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau
Montville Youth Service Bureau
New London Youth Affairs
Norwich Prevention Coalition
Suffield Youth Services
Tri-Town Youth Service Bureau
JESSICA LAHEY – BIO
Jessica Lahey is an Educator and Author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed and The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.
Over twenty years, Jess has taught every grade from sixth to twelfth in both public and private schools, spent five years teaching in a drug and alcohol rehab for adolescents in Vermont, and serves as a prevention and recovery coach at Sana at Stowe, a medical detox and recovery center in Stowe, Vermont. She writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Washington Post, The Atlantic and speaks around the country to parents, youth, and the community.
VIRTUAL BOOK DISCUSSION
Tri-Town Youth Services will host a virtual Book Discussion throughout January to explore the critical topics in The Addiction Inoculation. Join us Wednesdays on Zoom from 6:30-7:30 to discuss:
· –January 11th Substance Use in America, Toxic Stress and the Adolescent Brain
· –January 18th Protective Factors, How to Talk to Kids and Establish Clear Rules
· –January 25th Friendship, Peer Pressure, and Social-Emotional Development
Our series will culminate in a webinar with Jessica Lahey on February 15th from 7:00-8:00 pm, including an opportunity for Q&A from 8:00-8:30 pm.
Jessica will share what she has learned from her personal experience (as an adult in recovery), through her work as a teen substance abuse educator and from her extensive research into child welfare, psychology, substance abuse, and developmental neuroscience. Jessica’s book provides evidence-based strategies and practical tools adults need to understand, support, and educate resilient, addiction-resistant children. The guidelines are age-appropriate and actionable—from navigating a child’s risk for addiction, to interpreting signs of early abuse, to advice for broaching difficult conversations with children. We hope that you will join the conversation!
Limited book copies are available at Tri-Town Youth Services, and copies were donated to each of our local libraries in preparation for this book discussion series!
REGISTRATION FOR BOOK DISCUSSIONS IS TO BE COMPLETED THROUGH ZOOM HERE