Virtual: How To Talk To Youth About Alcohol and Vaping

Ray Lozano, veteran prevention educator and youth motivational speaker will talk to our community about drug use prevention

Get ready to learn. Ray Lozano speaks in a judgment-free, science-based way about drug prevention. You’re going to walk away with small, practical shifts that make a big difference in how youth hear, and respond to, your message.

• Initiating Conversations Without Conflict: Parents will feel more capable of starting conversations about alcohol and vaping in a calm, non-confrontational manner. They will gain practical tools for opening dialogue in ways that reduce defensiveness, increase receptivity, and encourage youth to participate in the conversation rather than avoid it.
• Communicating Without Lecturing or Judging: Parents will develop greater confidence in using neutral, nonjudgmental language that preserves trust and minimizes resistance. This includes learning how to express expectations and concerns clearly without relying on fear-based messaging, over-explaining, or corrective lecturing that can undermine communication.
• Maintaining Ongoing, Trust-Based Dialogue: Parents will feel equipped to move beyond one-time “talks” and instead sustain ongoing, low-pressure conversations over time. This approach reinforces protective factors, strengthens the parent–child relationship, and supports healthier decision-making as youth encounter new social pressures.

About Ray Lozano

Ray Lozano is a veteran prevention educator and youth motivational speaker with 35 years of experience delivering evidence-informed programming for adolescents. He developed and led a secondary youth intervention program at Loma Linda University Medical Center, working directly with high-risk youth through engagement-based strategies that strengthen protective factors, support informed decision-making, and promote positive behavior change. His work aligns with evidence-based prevention practices, with a focused emphasis on helping youth understand risk, communicating in ways that resonate, and modeling professional responsibility, using non-judgmental, developmentally appropriate messaging that connects with young people.

About PNW Parent Education

PNW Parent Education is a local nonprofit that partners with experts and local community organizations to offer high-quality, free educational events that help parents navigate the ever-changing challenges and concerns of raising kids. Working from its Latin roots as a verb, we use parent to include everyone involved in shaping and raising our children. With the guidance of parenting experts, many of our educational events are designed to allow for group discussion so that parents are able to share best practices as well as gain clarity and tools on a variety of parenting topics.