June 24, 2025
Transforming Addiction Prevention
A partnership between OASAS and Stanford's Research and Education to Empower Adolescents and Young Adults to Choose Health (REACH) Lab is transforming addiction prevention in New York schools.
The initiative focuses on helping young people understand substances and make healthier choices, moving beyond the ineffective "just say no" message. Curricula, such as "Smart Talk" for cannabis prevention, "You and Me Together Vape Free," are designed with youth input to ensure they resonate with students and can be adapted for different age groups and settings.
For parents and caregivers, the episode emphasizes that prevention starts with conversation, not lectures. Using everyday moments to engage young people in open, collaborative discussions about substance use is encouraged.
Podcast Guests
- Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Stanford's REACH Lab
- Patricia Zuber-Wilson, OASAS Associate Commissioner for Prevention
How to Tune In
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, including Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
You can also follow the show "Addiction: The Next Step" to receive notifications when new podcast episodes become available. Simply log in to your favorite podcast app, search by the show name to find it and follow us.
If you have feedback or would like to be a guest on the show, email [email protected].
Feature Quote
Saying to teens, just say no, N-O, really doesn't work. We know that from years and years of experience. So we really work on how do we help them say K-N-O-W, how do we help them understand, change their attitudes, ideally prevent all use. But then, if they are using, how do we help them cut back, quit, or, if they still continue to use, at least keep them safe and alive.
—Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Stanford REACH Lab