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

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. Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode: https://ai.hubermanlab.com/s/W2sUGXR7 Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Mateina: https://drinkmateina.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher Stanford academic profile: https://stanford.io/3xMlA4E Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab: https://stan.md/4aJvYsC Publications: https://stanford.io/3JtytmN Donate to the REACH Lab: https://bit.ly/49MQsiR Tobacco Prevention Toolkit Resources: https://stan.md/3Q9l1Is Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Toolkit: https://stan.md/3JrsD5x Vaping Information, Solutions and Interventions Toolkit: https://stan.md/3Q7K66r X: https://twitter.com/StanfordTPT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stanfordreachlab LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3w74JsP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordREACHLab Articles Association Between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and COVID-19: https://bit.ly/4d8lWCP Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Use and Perceptions of Pod-Based Electronic Cigarettes: https://bit.ly/4d4PhOB Adolescent (Mis)Perceptions About Nicotine Addiction: Results From a Mixed-Methods Study: https://bit.ly/4daeFCs Nicotine Addiction and Intensity of e-Cigarette Use by Adolescents in the US, 2014 to 2021: https://bit.ly/4b1QZhS Use, marketing, and appeal of oral nicotine products among adolescents, young adults, and adults: https://bit.ly/49Lp6d0 Adolescents’ and young adults’ perceptions of risks and benefits differ by type of cannabis products: https://bit.ly/4aI4SlH Other Resources Understanding and Preventing Youth Tobacco Use: A Focus on Vaping (Dr. Halpern-Felsher): https://youtu.be/VdOhYxu-CsQ? Parents Against Vaping e-Cigarettes (PAVe): https://bit.ly/3vTVnke Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD): https://madd.org Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned Nicotine's Effects on the Brain & Body & How to Quit Smoking or Vaping: https://youtu.be/uXs-zPc63kM The Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on the Brain & Body: https://youtu.be/gXvuJu1kt48 Controlling Your Dopamine For Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction: https://youtu.be/QmOF0crdyRU How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance: https://youtu.be/x4m_PdFbu-s Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher 00:01:40 Sponsors: Eight Sleep, Mateina & LMNT 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 00:30:41 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 00:56:32 Sponsor: Waking Up 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 #HubermanLab #Science Disclaimer: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Andrew HubermanhostBonnie Halpern-Felsherguest

Apr 22, 20242h 31mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 22, 2024
Duration: 2h 31m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

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. Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode: https://ai.hubermanlab.com/s/W2sUGXR7 Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Mateina: https://drinkmateina.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher Stanford academic profile: https://stanford.io/3xMlA4E Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab: https://stan.md/4aJvYsC Publications: https://stanford.io/3JtytmN Donate to the REACH Lab: https://bit.ly/49MQsiR Tobacco Prevention Toolkit Resources: https://stan.md/3Q9l1Is Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Toolkit: https://stan.md/3JrsD5x Vaping Information, Solutions and Interventions Toolkit: https://stan.md/3Q7K66r X: https://twitter.com/StanfordTPT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stanfordreachlab LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3w74JsP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordREACHLab Articles Association Between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and COVID-19: https://bit.ly/4d8lWCP Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Use and Perceptions of Pod-Based Electronic Cigarettes: https://bit.ly/4d4PhOB Adolescent (Mis)Perceptions About Nicotine Addiction: Results From a Mixed-Methods Study: https://bit.ly/4daeFCs Nicotine Addiction and Intensity of e-Cigarette Use by Adolescents in the US, 2014 to 2021: https://bit.ly/4b1QZhS Use, marketing, and appeal of oral nicotine products among adolescents, young adults, and adults: https://bit.ly/49Lp6d0 Adolescents’ and young adults’ perceptions of risks and benefits differ by type of cannabis products: https://bit.ly/4aI4SlH Other Resources Understanding and Preventing Youth Tobacco Use: A Focus on Vaping (Dr. Halpern-Felsher): https://youtu.be/VdOhYxu-CsQ? Parents Against Vaping e-Cigarettes (PAVe): https://bit.ly/3vTVnke Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD): https://madd.org Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned Nicotine's Effects on the Brain & Body & How to Quit Smoking or Vaping: https://youtu.be/uXs-zPc63kM The Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on the Brain & Body: https://youtu.be/gXvuJu1kt48 Controlling Your Dopamine For Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction: https://youtu.be/QmOF0crdyRU How to Breathe Correctly for Optimal Health, Mood, Learning & Performance: https://youtu.be/x4m_PdFbu-s Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher 00:01:40 Sponsors: Eight Sleep, Mateina & LMNT 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 00:30:41 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 00:56:32 Sponsor: Waking Up 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 #HubermanLab #Science Disclaimer: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host
Bonnie Halpern-Felsher
guest
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman and Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Vaping, Alcohol Use & Other Risky Youth Behaviors | Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher explores teens, Vapes, and Fentanyl: Inside Today’s Hidden Youth Risk Crisis Andrew Huberman and developmental psychologist Dr. Bonni Halpern‑Felsher explore modern adolescent risk behaviors, with a major focus on nicotine vaping, cannabis use, and their interaction with social media and marketing. They explain how adolescent brain development, stress, and peer dynamics interact with predatory product design—flavors, device shapes, and social media campaigns—to drive early initiation and addiction, now seen even in elementary school. The conversation details concrete health risks to brain, heart, and lungs, including high-dose nicotine exposure, vaping-related lung injury, and cannabis-associated psychosis in predisposed youth. They close with practical strategies for parents, educators, and teens: shifting from “Just Say No” to honest, comprehensive education, harm reduction, and ongoing, nonjudgmental conversations that leverage teens’ strengths, values, and long-term goals.

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