Teens, Vaping and Substance Use: What Parents Really Need to Know
Let's All Talk Mental Health
50:08
Substance use among teenagers is not a new concern for parents but the landscape around it is changing.
For many parents, this creates uncertainty. What is typical experimentation? What signals something more? And how do you respond in a way that doesn’t shut the conversation down?
In this session we will explore what’s currently happening, helping parents understand the realities of vaping and the substances that are becoming more common. It will also look at how social media influences behaviour, and how parents can support their teens in developing the critical thinking and decision-making skills needed to question what they see and hear.
Importantly, the focus will be on what parents can do in practice from recognising early signs of experimentation, to responding calmly in the moment, and creating ongoing, open conversations that build trust over time.
The aim is not to alarm, but to give parents a clearer picture of what’s out there and the confidence to start having regular, open discussions with their young ones about what's out there.
Speaker
Fiona Spargo-Mabbs
OBE
Fiona Spargo-Mabbs is Director and Founder of drug education charity the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, and an award-winning author. Fiona co-founded the charity in 2014 in response to the death of her 16-year-old son Daniel having taken ecstasy. She brings to this work a wide range and depth of experience from more than two decades working in education at operational level as a teacher and manager, and at strategic levels locally and nationally. As well as working directly with young people and parents herself, Fiona is also regularly asked to speak on various national platforms and in the media, and is closely involved in policy work with government, police, academics and other agencies. Her book, I Wish I’d Known: Young People, Drugs and Decisions – A Guide for Parents and Carers (Sheldon Press, 2021) won the Gold Medal for Parents and Families in the Nautilus Book Awards 2022, and her most recent book for parents, Talking the Tough Stuff with Teens (Sheldon Press) will be published in December 2022. Her TEDx talk, ‘Why drugs education is vital’, can be seen here. Fiona’s passionate commitment to do all she can to prevent what happened to her son happening to anyone else drives everything she does. For more information about the DSM Foundation see www.dsmfoundation.org.uk
Replays
See all
Teens, Vaping and Substance Use: What Parents Really Need to Know
50:08