Tip of the Spear: Be your child's biggest influencer when it comes to drug prevention and intervention

BOOK REVIEW of The Tip of the Spear by David Vieth Kopeny by Bernard Glos, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist with expertise in forensic psychology, addiction and violence/threat assessment In my five decades of professional work, rarely have I come across a book like this one. It is unbelievably well written. First, it is fact based, both in terms of drugs and human behavior. It carefully integrates relevant stories of young people and parents to make the factual content much more relatable. Importantly, it clearly illuminates the key role parents have in preventing or dealing with their children's substance use. The book not only identifies everything a parent needs to know, it does so in such a clear and simple way that both understanding and application are easy for the reader. There are clear strategies in how to prevent drug use but also clear interventions to address such use if it is already occurring. Although the teen age years cause teenagers to over-connect with peers and other outside influences, parents can still have a powerful impact. They can help their child not be overly influenced or pressured by their peers. So often, my work with teens was stymied by parents unwilling to get involved. A family is a system and a child or teen is part of that system. For example, merely changing a battery in a car without checking and replacing a defective starter motor will not get things moving! A look at the "big picture" is needed, which this volume does unbelievably well. The author discusses how to facilitate a school connection as it plays a key role in not only prevention and intervention but adolescent growth and other developmental activities as well. At the end, the author sees his work as a strategy for hope. So often, when young people get involved with drugs or other addictive behaviors, parents throw up their hands in frustration and try to get the issue "fixed" elsewhere. If you read this book, you as a parent will know what to do. YOU are the fix!