Parenting Well Podcast

#5 - Dr. Ilona Jaspers: Vaping and Associated Lung Disorders

I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Dr. Ilona Jaspers. Dr. Jaspers has more than 15 years of experience as a professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology, and environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She specializes in the effects of ambient air pollutants on respiratory immune disfunction.

In today’s show, Dr. Jaspers shares:

• A general understanding of vaping
• Amount of nicotine and other contaminants in e-cigarettes
• Clinical manifestations of vaping
• Vaping plant-based products vs. oils
• Vaping associated lung injuries & common symptoms
• Individual differences in the harmful effects of vaping
• Regulations on vaping
• Impacts of secondhand e-cigarette exposure
• Prevention strategies for parents
• Resource: Cessation Resources
• Resource: American Academy for Pediatrics Prevention Toolkit
• Resource: Vaping likely has dangers that could take years for scientists to even know about
• Resource: Podcast: Inside the Mysterious Lung Illness Linked to Vaping

#4 - Dr. Robert Valuck: Opioids, Benzodiazepines, and Harm Reduction Strategies

I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Dr. Rob Valuck. Dr. Valuck is a Professor in the Departments of Clinical Pharmacy, Epidemiology, and Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Schools of Pharmacy, Public Health, and Medicine. He is also the Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research (CePOR) at the School of Pharmacy.  Finally, Dr. Valuck is the coordinator of the Center Director of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, created by Governor Hickenlooper in 2013 to address the prescription drug abuse problem with a collaborative, statewide, interagency approach.

In today’s podcast, Dr. Valuck shares:

• The history of prescribing opioids
• The potential harm of over prescribing opioids
• Safe use of opioids for pain reduction
• Use and misuse of Benzodiazepines
• Details about the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
• Harm reduction strategies
• Take back system for returning unused meds
• Recognizing use of prescription drugs in the home
• Predictors of use disorders: ACES: Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Resource: Speak Now: A program for communicating with your child about drug use
• Resource: Take Meds Seriously
• Resource: Bring Naloxone Home

#3 - Trina Faatz: The CRAFT Program - An Intervention Model Approach to Reducing Substance Use

I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Trina Faatz. Trina is an advocate for child welfare and family wholeness. She is certified as a Peer Recovery Coach to work with parents and teens struggling with the challenges of substance use.  Now, as the facilitator of the Boulder County Substance Advisory Group, and leader of young people in recovery panels, she brings a personal and humane approach to intervention and hope. 

In today’s show, Trina will talk about the challenges young people face and how a cutting-edge program called CRAFT is helping parents navigate substance use in today’s world. Specifically, we will discuss:

• The challenges young people face when it comes to substance use
• How social media can have positive and negative impacts on substance use
• Fentanyl
• Substance use and brain development
• Recognizing substance use in your child
• Skill building: understanding triggers, communicating, establishing rewards/consequences, and strengthening the parent-child relationship
• A parent’s role in increasing or decreasing a child’s substance use
• Resource: Chart: Understanding Substance Use Experimentation
• Resource: Natural Highs: Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol
• Resource: The CRAFT Program: Community Reinforcement and Family Training
• Resource: The Effekt Training: To increase parents’ attitudes, norm-setting and monitoring about alcohol
• Resource: Reach Out for Change – CRAFT Classes

#2 - Avani Dilger: Substance Use, Addiction & Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol

I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Avani Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, CACIII.  Avani is the founder and executive director of Natural Highs: Healthy Alternatives to Drug & Alcohol Use. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Addiction Counselor, a Somatic Psychotherapist, and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). She specializes in substance abuse treatment with adults, teens-at-risk, and their families.

In today’s show, Avani shares her expertise around substance use, addiction, brain science and healthy alternatives for youth. Specifically, we will discuss:

• Alternative forms of treatment for substance use and addiction
• Why some people become addicted to substances and others do not
• Brain science
• Trauma and its relationship with addiction
• Treatments for symptoms of trauma that can lead to addiction
• The Icelandic Model
• Maintaining a relationship with your kids

#1 - Dr: Travis Rieder: Pain, Opioid Addiction & Recovery

I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL guest is Dr. Rieder. He is a philosopher by training, bioethicist by profession, communicator by passion, and author of the book, “In Pain: A Bioethicist’s Personal Struggle with Opioids.” In Pain describes Dr. Rieder's sudden and intimate run-in with the health care system that left him dependent on oxycodone. In this podcast, we discuss:

• The nuances of pain
• Prescribing opioids for trauma, post-surgical pain, and long-term pain
• Opioid tolerance, dependence and addiction
• Naloxone
• Drug use and the developing brain
• How parents can advocate for their child if opioids are prescribed
• Parenting and building protective factors
• The moral obligation of the health care system to both manage pain and reduce harm.