Are you worried about your teens’ exposure to weed, alcohol and other drugs and what you can do as a parent to protect them?

CT Parent Connection in partnership with Newtown Congregational Church will host “Drinking, Smoking, Vaping: Trends in Teen Use and What Parents Can Do” on Tuesday, April 18, from 7 to 8:30 pm.

(The program was initially announced for April 11.)

The second of a three-session program series, the empowering and informative event will features Liz Driscoll Jorgensen, CADC, and will be held at the church, 14 West Street.

Jorgensen, who is director of Insight Counseling LLC and a consultant to Newport Healthcare, will help parents learn about the current teen culture, how social media use interacts with substance abuse risks, and how to set and maintain loving limits to keep their children safe.

Jorgensen has 35 years’ experience with adolescent and adult psychotherapy and counseling.

She has been a faculty speaker at Harvard CME for 22 years and is a nationally recognized expert in counseling, particularly in engaging resistant teens and motivating them to change. She was also the coordinator of Adolescent Substance Abuse Services at Danbury Hospital and created and ran a dual diagnosis partial hospital, intensive outpatient and outpatient services in her 18 years there.

Jorgensen will discuss:

*What creates risk for substance use in teens;

*The importance of positive parenting and setting limits and consequences for teens’ behaviors;

*The risks for children with special needs such as ADD and ADHD;

*Development of the teenage brain;

*The effects alcohol and cannabis have on the teenage brain;

*The special risks of the high potency cannabis products teens are currently using; and

*Nicotine addiction, and cannabis dependency.

“Teens need and want safety and other limits from their parents and caregivers,” said Jorgensen. “The problem is that they won’t thank you until they are 25 years old. Parents need to be solid in what their safety boundaries are and learn how to keep at it for the long haul. “

This program is free to all. For further information, contact Parent Connection at 203-270-1600 or visit ctparentconnection.org.