With the ever-changing drug landscape due to recent legalizations as well as emerging drug-taking technologies (e.g., vaping), talking to kids about drugs can be a daunting task. Dr. Khokhar argues that instead of pushing the "just say no" message, equipping teens with evidence-based knowledge of the causal consequences of substance use on the developing brain may be a better tool for parents to utilize in these conversations. Dr. Jibran Khokhar is a professor within the department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph. Dr. Khokhar’s research aims to understand the mechanisms underlying co-occurring schizophrenia and substance use disorders, using a variety of behavioural, pharmacological and translational neuroimaging techniques. In his talk, he will be discussing the long-term effects of adolescent drug use, such as cannabis and vaping, and how these effects might contribute to the risk for serious mental illness and addiction. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx