ADDICTION INOCULATION, THE

The Addiction Inoculation provides a valuable look at best parenting practices. As a teacher, mother, and a recovering alcoholic, Lahey writes with compassion and wisdom. Parents will all benefit from her life-saving advice.” –Peggy Orenstein (Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex) The Gift of Failure, a New York Times bestseller, helps parents and educators to understand the root causes of addiction and identify those most at risk. She also offers steps for prevention. Jessica Lahey was raised in a family that has a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Despite her desire for her family’s destruction, Jessica became an alcoholic and couldn’t get out of her rut until her twenties. Jessica was a teacher in drug abuse programs for teenagers and wanted to protect her sons from their most dangerous inheritance. No matter what their genetic makeup, all children are at risk of substance abuse. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse says that teen drug abuse is the most costly and preventable health problem in the country. Even though there are proven prevention strategies, nine in ten adult with substance abuse disorder say they started drinking or taking drugs before the age of eighteen. The Addiction Inoculation provides parents and educators with a complete resource to help prevent children from abusing substances. This essential guide is based on research in child welfare and psychology as well as substance abuse and developmental neuroscience. It provides the evidence-based strategies and tools that adults need to support and educate children who are resilient and addiction-resistant. These guidelines can be used to help children have difficult conversations, and are appropriate for their age. They include how to navigate a child’s addiction risk, how to interpret early abuse signs, and how to deal with them. The Addiction Inoculation provides a valuable resource that is accessible to anyone who plays an important role in the lives of children, whether they are parents, teachers, coaches or pediatricians. It helps them raise happy, healthy and free from addiction.