The Addicted Child: A Parent's Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse

Show Guest: Richard Capriola

Co-host: Paul Otis; Lake Tahoe Prep School

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 20% of teens admit to taking prescription drugs without a prescription. Last year, 47% of American high schoolers admitted to using illicit drugs, with 58% say they have drunk alcohol, according to American Addictions Centers. This risk continues to grow in young adults, in addition to drug and alcohol addiction.

Richard Capriola, author of The Addicted Child: A Parent’s Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse, has worked as a mental health counselor for 21 years including time at the nationally-ranked Menninger Clinic in Houston, where he specialized in teen mental health.

He feels that addiction leaves parents filled with guilt and feeling lost. His mission with The Addicted Child is to empower parents with a road map of what to do when they find their child is addicted to alcohol or drugs. As an additional resource to the book, he has also created an accompanying parent workbook.