The Drug Safety Blog

If you are a parent, you may endure overwhelming pressure from other parents to start drug testing your teens at the first whiff of pot smoke. If you haven’t taken their advice, you may have been accused of bad parenting. You may have been warned of serious consequences.  Teens — and adults who were drug tested as teens — consistently tell me that home testing damaged their relationship with their…

1. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Now take five more.  If you’re reading this because you just found drugs in your child’s backpack or bedroom, you’re probably feeling a range of emotions: fear, anxiety, anger, self-doubt, sadness, or disappointment. Your feelings are understandable, but do not let them fuel the conversation with your child. Try writing down how you’re feeling and why, not to share…

Earlier generations were taught that addiction is a moral failing only curable with punishment. More recent generations were taught that addiction is a disease. Addiction is a health issue better understood as neither a moral problem or a disease, but rather a learned disorder. Leading neuroscience author Maia Szalavitz explains this definition in her book, Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of…

Harm reduction is a philosophy and a way of approaching life. It informs policies, programs, and practices that aim to mitigate the harms of inherently or potentially dangerous activities. Harm reduction is evidence-based, stigma-free, and social justice-oriented. Public health professionals and academic institutions across the globe support harm reduction strategies.Most US drug laws – particularly…