Expert to address youth substance use in Dubois County
Bestselling author Jessica Lahey to share prevention strategies and bust myths at free seminar; $200 prize announced for one of the county’s seventh-grade classes
Jessica Lahey, a best-selling author and prevention coach, is set to deliver a free presentation titled “Find Out What Your Kids Already Know: Raising Kids in a Substance-Glamorizing World” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Jasper Arts Center, 951 College Avenue.
Lahey, who has 11 years of recovery experience, aims to empower parents and community leaders with tools to boost children’s learning, school engagement, and competence while reducing the risk of substance use.
Lahey has spent her adult life conversing with adolescents and adults as a teacher, mentor, mother and education journalist. She trusts, loves and supports teens and their parents, and in return, they tend to trust her back.
Whether she’s talking to audiences about topics of her New York Times best-selling book, “The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed” – why kids need more autonomy, competence and deeper connections with adults in order to stay motivated, learn more deeply and become the best versions of themselves – or preventing substance use in kids, her focus is always on adolescent mental health and facilitating difficult conversations around these challenging topics.
Lahey also wrote “The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence,” which revolves around the importance of adolescents being comfortable using refusal skills.
“I want to give you tools, not just for helping your kids learn for the sake of learning and boost their motivation to be better and do better in life and in school, but for drastically reducing the chances they will feel the need to turn to alcohol and other drugs,” Lahey says.
The presentation comes as recent data from the 2024 Indiana Youth Survey reveals concerning trends in mental health and substance use among Dubois County students in grades six through 12.
The survey shows 26.5 percent of girls and 17 percent of boys reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row. Additionally, 25.3 percent of girls and 8.4 percent of boys have considered attempting suicide.
Eighth-grade girls reported the highest rates, with 41.5 percent feeling depressed and 20.6 percent considering suicide.
And some kids are looking to substance use to cope with these feelings; 2.8 percent of 12-year-olds and 10.6 percent of 17-year-olds reported using alcohol/drugs to relax, feel better, and fit in.
In regards to substance use, among 12th graders, 18.9 percent reported using alcohol in the past 30 days, while 10.7 percent reported binge drinking (five or more drinks in a sitting for boys or four or more in a sitting for girls) in the past two weeks.
Marijuana use was reported as well. 30-day use of marijuana was reported by 6.7 percent of 12th-graders, 2.9 percent of 10th-graders and 2.6 percent of eighth-graders.
Lahey emphasizes the importance of early intervention. “The best substance use prevention strategies we know of start young. As in pre-k and kindergarten young,” she explains.
She also stresses the need for open communication. “The more we talk about difficult things like substance use or sex or whatever topic frightens you most, the easier it gets to talk about it,” Lahey says.
The prevention coach challenges common misconceptions about adolescent substance use. “No, everyone isn’t doing it. Far fewer kids use than you may think, and it’s actually pretty predictable which kids are more likely to use addictive substances,” she stated.
Lahey also debunks the myth of safe home drinking. “Letting kids sip or use in the safety of their own home does not teach kids moderation, and it actually raises their likelihood of increasing their use (and their friends’ use) while increasing their lifelong risk for substance use disorder,” she warns.
The survey data supports this concern, showing that 11.5 percent of juniors and 15.2 percent of seniors believe their parents would consider it only “a little bit wrong” or “not at all wrong” for them to drink alcohol once or twice a month.
Accessibility of substances is another issue highlighted by the survey. Sixty-five percent of seniors and 56.8 percent of juniors reported it would be “sort of easy” or “very easy” to obtain alcohol. Regarding marijuana, 38.6 percent of seniors said it would be easy or very easy to get.
Lahey’s approach focuses on evidence-based prevention strategies. “Research shows teens do not respond to scared straight and just say no messaging, and worse, these programs have been proven ineffective – counterproductive, even in preventing substance use,” she explains.
Instead, she advocates for helping teens understand how their brains work and why substance use in adolescence is particularly dangerous.
“When you start young and approach the topic without shame, guilt, or judgment, kids will keep talking and trusting you in these conversations,” she advises.
The presentation will offer practical communication tools and scripts for parents to initiate these crucial conversations with children of all ages.
Lahey’s goal is to empower communities to create lasting positive change in youth substance use patterns.
“We can create our own culture around substance use when we don’t fall for the ‘well, kids are just going to drink and there’s nothing we can do about it,’ because that’s simply not true on a statistical or on a cultural level,” she asserts.
The seminar is open to parents, educators, school administrators, coaches, pastors, and community leaders interested in learning about the science of learning, motivation, engagement, and substance abuse prevention.
Attendees can expect to gain insights into evidence-based approaches to substance use prevention, understanding adolescent brain development, and strategies for fostering stronger, more trusting relationships with children.
The presentation is made possible through grants from the Dubois County Advocacy for Recovery and Prevention Council, Dubois County Community Foundation, and the Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center, with additional support from the Jasper Community Arts Commission and The Next Chapter.
$200 prize for a local school announced
Also, Dubois County CARES announced a $200 prize will be available during the upcoming presentation from Lahey.
The school district with the most votes cast at the event will get $200 for its seventh-grade class.
“Each person in our community can support their local seventh-graders by simply coming out to this important – and free – discussion, and then voting for their school district,” said Candy Neal, director of the Dubois County Coalition for Adolescent Resilience and Empowerment Strategies
Neal explained that the seminar would provide valuable information for any parent, grandparent, guardian, or adult who engages with youth.
“This discussion is made for those who want to better communicate with their children their stance on youth substance use while supporting their growing independence,” Neal added.
In addition to the public meeting on Feb. 6 at the Jasper Arts Center, Lahey will also address all of the county’s seventh-graders that morning.
