Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher: Vaping, Alcohol Use & Other Risky Youth Behaviors

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, FSAHM. She is a professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine and a developmental psychologist at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Halpern-Felsher is a world expert in adolescent decision-making and risk-taking behaviors.

She explains the huge increase in vaping (e-cigarettes) by young people. She explains why vaping nicotine and cannabis is particularly dangerous to the developing brain. We discuss the rise in vaping addiction, the unique social pressures and social media influences faced by youth that make quitting challenging, and interventions to aid them in quitting or reducing use.

We also discuss the role of technology and social media. And, the use of alcohol, nicotine pouches, fentanyl, and other risky behaviors that adolescents face now.

This episode should interest parents, teachers, coaches, teens, and families. It covers the current youth substance use landscape and also covers resources and ways to quit these addictive behaviors. 

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher

(00:01:57) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:05:38) Adolescence

(00:09:19) Household Conflict, Parents; Smart Phones

(00:12:35) Smart Phones & Social Media

(00:18:25) Vaping, E-Cigarettes, Nicotine & Cannabis

(00:23:46) Adolescent Nicotine Use: Marketing, Flavors

(00:31:04) Sponsor: AG1

(00:32:13) Nicotine Initiation, Freebase vs. Salt-Based Nicotine, Concentration

(00:41:35) Addiction & Withdrawal; E-Cigarette Access

(00:48:48) Vaping Health Hazards, Aldehydes, Flavors

(00:57:48) “Just Say No”, Adolescent Defiance

(01:04:21) Cannabis & Potency, Blunts, E-Cigarette Combinations

(01:10:30) Psychosis, THC & Adolescence

(01:14:11) Quitting Nicotine & Cannabis; Physical & Social Withdrawal Symptoms

(01:23:05) Social Pressures, Quitting Vaping, Environment Concerns

(01:30:08) Teen Activities, Social Media, Autonomy

(01:36:28) Risky Behaviors, Alcohol, Driving, Sexual Behavior

(01:43:27) International E-Cigarette Use, Regulation

(01:46:10) Nicotine Pouches, Health Risks; Tolerance

(01:53:25) Tools: Vaping Interventions, Decision Making, Harm Reduction

(02:02:37) Fentanyl, Drug Testing, Recreational Drug Use

(02:13:45) Tool: Organic Conversations & Risky Behavior

(02:17:20) Long-Term Goals & Teens; Vaping, Pornography & Teens

(02:24:08) Mental Health Crisis & Substance Use

(02:29:11) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

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