Parents, you have the power to help prevent substance misuse by talking to your children early and often about the dangers of vaping, drugs and alcohol. It’s also important to talk to them about difficult subjects like grief and loss. The sooner you talk to your kids about these topics, the greater chance you have of influencing their decisions. Prepare for one of the most important conversations you may ever have with SAMHSA’s Talk – They Hear You.

Talk – They Hear You is a substance use prevention national media campaign. The goal of the campaign is to reduce substance use among youth ages 9 to 15 by providing parents and caregivers with information and resources they need to start addressing the issues of vaping, drugs and alcohol with their children.

Learn More

For more information visit our resource page

Get in touch with Youth First staff for more information about this program.

Kent Leslie, Director of Programs | 812-421-8336 ext 111

Visit SAMHSA.gov to learn more on how you can prevent underage drinking.

Talking to Kids About Vaping, Drugs and Alcohol

5 Conversation Goals

Show you disapprove of underage substance use.

Over 80% of young people ages 10-18 say their parents are the leading influence on their decision to abuse substances or not. So they really are listening, and it’s important that you send a clear and strong message.

Show you care about your child’s happiness and well-being.

Young people are more likely to listen when they know you’re on their side. Try to reinforce why you don’t want your child to vape, drink or use drugs – not just because you say so, but because you want your child to be happy and safe. The conversation will go a lot better if you’re working with, and not against, your child.

Show you’re a good source of information about vaping, drugs and alcohol.

You want your child to be making informed decisions about vaping, drugs, and alcohol, with reliable information about the dangers. You don’t want your child to be learning about these topics from friends, the internet, or the media—you want to establish yourself as a trustworthy source of information.

Show you’re paying attention and you’ll notice if your child vapes, drinks or uses drugs.

You want to show you’re keeping an eye on your child, because young people are more likely to vape, drink or use drugs if they think no one will notice. There are many subtle ways to do this without prying.

Build your child’s skills and strategies for avoiding underage drinking, vaping, or drug use.

Even if your child doesn’t want to vape, drink or use drugs, peer pressure is a powerful thing. It could be tempting to use substances just to avoid looking uncool. To prepare your child to resist peer pressure, you’ll need to build skills and practice them.