The future of substance abuse in youth

Developmental psychologist Bonnie Halpern-Felsher specializes in teenage health-related decision-making, especially in their use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other substances. Young people, she says, value immediate social benefits over long-term risks. In response, she supports bans on flavored nicotine products and has developed nationally and internationally used evidence-based substance use prevention and intervention programs , including some that are culturally targeted, such as her vaping prevention curriculum in Hawaii zeroing in on popular flavors like mango and poi. The reward, she says, is reduced substance use and better mental health. “Talk to your kids. Don’t lecture. Have a conversation,” Halpern-Felsher tells host Russ Altman of the best way to break through on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu . Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: ​​ Bonnie Halpern-Felsher Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab | Stanford Medicine Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a developmental psychologist at Stanford University. (00:03:52) Focus on Youth Substance Use Bonnie explains her focus on studying substance behaviors in adolescents. (00:05:32) Current Trends in Youth Health The mixed indicators across behavior and mental health in youth. (00:08:46) Effective Health Communication Why long-horizon risk messaging often underperforms in adolescents. (00:11:16) Policy Translation & Advocacy How Bonnie translates research findings into policy advocacy. (00:13:54) School-Based Prevention Programs An overview of evidence-based curricula and target age groups. (00:15:04) Measuring Program Impact The evaluation approaches and challenges of the prevention programs. (00:16:41) Youth Dependence & Cessation Why addiction develops quickly and the limited treatment options. (00:18:18) Program Adaptation Across Contexts How curricula are localized without redesigning core methods. (00:21:00) Youth-Oriented Product Marketing The strategies used by substance industries to market to youth. (00:23:38) Cannabis Potency & Health Risk The link between higher THC concentrations and medical outcomes. (00:26:48) Patterns of Cannabis Use The common modes of cannabis use and related exposure risks. (00:28:10) Early Exposure & Prevention Needs The reports of substance exposure and use at increasingly early ages. (00:29:10) Guidance for Caregivers Practical guidance for caregivers concerned about substance use. (00:31:23) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: asking for help, substance regulation, and alternate degree. (00:33:37) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You can listen to The future of substance abuse in youth online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The future of substance abuse in youth is an episode from The Future of Everything presented by Stanford Engineering by Stanford Engineering & Russ Altman.

This episode is 00:34:23 long.

This episode was published on Jan 30, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Future of Everything presented by Stanford Engineering when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.