#439 - 🔵 [PAS 2026] - Can We Vaccinate Teenagers Against Fentanyl Overdose?

Send us Fan MailDr. Sharon Levy, director of the Division of Addiction Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital, joins Daphna for a wide-ranging conversation on adolescent substance use. She shares data showing a sudden spike in nicotine exposure among teens in treatment for substance use disorders — likely driven by larger vape devices and cooling agents that eliminate the burn sensation — and introduces one of the most novel concepts in addiction medicine: a vaccine that would create antibodies against fentanyl, blocking its effect at the meningeal level before it reaches the brain. She also presents findings on why current surveillance questions fail to capture how teens actually talk about drug use, and why kids who need treatment most are paradoxically the ones most likely to answer screening questions honestly.Support the showAs always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: [email protected]. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below.Enjoy!