NewsLos Angeles TimesNovember 7, 2026Los Angeles County
Contributor: Recent overdose deaths should change how parents talk about drugs
Photo: Los Angeles Times
Recent high-profile overdose deaths and drug-related incidents highlight a shifting drug landscape where commercialization, potent new extracts, and counterfeit pills outpace regulation. A national survey reveals a significant gap between how often parents think they discuss drug risks and how often teens report hearing about them. The authors argue that parents must adapt their conversations by staying calm, asking questions, and focusing on the actual contents of substances rather than who provides them.
Read the full story at Los Angeles TimesWhy It Matters
Families face a changing market of high-potency legal and illicit substances, with 73% of parents believing they discuss pill misuse compared to only 27% of teens reporting those conversations.
Key Facts
- Actress Hayden Panettiere died at age 36 from an accidental overdose involving fentanyl and other chemicals.
- Presley Gerber died at age 27 in a Los Angeles rehab facility of a suspected overdose.
- Two University of Mississippi students, ages 18 and 20, died hours apart after investigators found kratom-derived tablets near them.
- Ketamine was involved in an alleged sexual assault at a fraternity house at Cornell University.
- Prosecutors charged 13 current and former students at Penn State in connection with an alleged cocaine ring operated out of two fraternity houses.
- Manufacturers extract and concentrate 7-OH from kratom leaves to sell as gummies, drinks, capsules, and shots.
- A national survey of over 2,500 people commissioned by Song for Charlie found that 73% of parents said they talked with their kids about prescription pill misuse, while only 27% of teens reported having that conversation.
- The survey showed that 88% of teens considered accepting a pill from a stranger highly dangerous, but only 33% said the same about a pill from a close friend.
- Prevention science indicates that perceived harm and social disapproval are two of the strongest protections against youth substance use.
- Eighty-seven percent of surveyed parents stated that tips for conversations with their kids would be helpful.
Who's Mentioned
OrganizationUniversity of Mississippi“institution where two students died from kratom-derived tablets”OrganizationCornell University“location of an alleged sexual assault involving ketamine”PersonPresley Gerber“died of a suspected overdose in a rehab facility in Los Angeles”PersonHayden Panettiere“actress who died of an accidental overdose involving fentanyl”OrganizationSong for Charlie“nonprofit organization that commissioned a national survey and educates about th”PersonEd Ternan“co-founder of Song for Charlie whose son Charlie died from a counterfeit pill”PersonCharlie Ternan“son of Ed Ternan who died at 22 after taking a counterfeit pill”OrganizationPenn State“institution where prosecutors charged students in a cocaine ring”PersonMarcia Lee Taylor“former president and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids”locationLos Angeles“city where a suspected overdose occurred”