Start here if you're short on time. This episode is designed for parents and teens to listen to together—the key facts, the core message, and a conversation starter all in one. If you do nothing else, do this.

Telling kids "don't take pills" isn't enough. They need better options when life feels overwhelming. This episode covers practical alternatives—exercise, sleep, creative outlets, asking for help—and how parents can model healthy coping in addition to talking about it.

You want to talk to your kid about this. But what do you actually say? This episode gives you practical scripts and approaches backed by research—lead with curiosity, not accusations; create conversations, not lectures. Experts and young advocates explain what opens doors and what shuts them down.

Young people are using drugs less than they were 20 years ago—but dying more. Why? Because fake pills that look exactly like real Xanax, Oxy and Adderall have flooded the market, and they're made with fentanyl. Dr. Hadland, Dr. Zona, and other experts explain what's changed, how potent fentanyl really is, and why the old rules no longer apply.

Charlie Ternan was a college senior—the empathetic friend who stayed up late to listen, the guy who held his group together. On May 14, 2020, he took what he thought was a Percocet for back pain before a job interview. It was fake. Hear from Charlie's dad Ed, his sister Teresa, his girlfriend Bridget, and the housemates who found him—and understand why this could happen to anyone.