Parents Speak | What I Wish Every Family Had at Their Dinner Table
The other night, I was out to dinner with a group of moms. Our teenage boys are friends, so naturally the conversation drifted to what’s going on in their world: sports, school, relationships. Then, as often happens, the questions started. One mom asked about a headline she’d seen. Another wanted to know whether something her teen read online was true. Soon I was fielding rapid-fire questions about substances, safety, and what parents really need to know right now.
As we walked out, one of the moms hugged me and said, “We’re so lucky to have Dr. Liz at our table.”
Her words struck me, because they captured exactly why I share prevention education wherever I can. Most people don’t have a doctor or prevention expert sitting beside them at dinner to discuss teen drug safety. Yet the questions we had around that table are the same ones being asked at moms’ nights everywhere. And that’s exactly why DopaGE was created. What if every parent could have access to expert guidance on teen drug safety, even without a doctor at their table?
DopaGE is an evidence-based, expert-led prevention portal designed for families. I am proud to be one of the experts behind it, alongside neuroscientists, other physicians from a variety of specialties, and even the inventor of nasal naloxone - the life-saving medication now found in schools, dorms, and homes across the country. Together, we bring the latest science and practical strategies right to your home.
Unlike boring online courses or lengthy lectures, DopaGE was designed to be inherently interactive and engaging. Families can click through the levels and test their knowledge with quick activities. Teens and young adults are given realistic scenarios and challenged to think about how they might respond. Parents get practical guidance on what to watch for and how to address tough topics without shutting down the conversation. It’s prevention designed for the real world - something families can use together, leaving everyone more confident.
The urgency could not be more clear. For adolescents ages 14–18, overdose fatalities have increased nearly fivefold in recent years, driven largely by fentanyl in counterfeit pills. Young adults ages 19–25 have been hit just as hard. Nationally, between 90,000 and 110,000 Americans die each year from preventable overdoses—and in 2023, 76% of teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl, compared to 69% in adults (CDC WONDER, 2025). Most of these victims had no idea they were ingesting fentanyl.
Mixing substances is one of the riskiest situations a young person can face. Teens and young adults are seven times more likely to die from using alcohol at the same time as one or more other drugs, than they are to die from using alcohol alone (CDC WONDER, 2024). The scary part is that most kids don’t intend to “mix”, but the supply itself is so unpredictable. What looks like a single pill could actually be a cocktail of fentanyl, sedatives, stimulants, and other additives. One mistake, one drink or pill can create a crisis. This is exactly why prevention matters.
Adolescent medicine experts agree that overdose prevention education should be treated as anticipatory guidance (Hadland et al., 2024)—in other words, it's something meant for every family to learn about in advance, the same way we all buckle a seatbelt before starting the car. We don't put seatbelts on only the drivers we expect to crash. We use them because accidents can happen to anyone. This isn't advice just for kids we consider "at risk." Prevention prepares all teens and families before they face a dangerous moment. Dr. Hadland, who leads this research as Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, emphasizes that anticipatory guidance on overdose prevention belongs in every family’s conversations.
What makes DopaGE different is the way it blends expert knowledge with approachable learning. Built on science, architected by video game engineers, and validated by leaders in medicine and neuroscience, it couldn’t feel further from homework. Teens enjoy training and testing themselves on their new skills, often sharing what they’ve learned with their friends. Parents value learning alongside their kids and using the activities as conversation starters. Families describe feeling more aware of red flags, better prepared for a crisis, and more comfortable having important conversations.
Prevention is not just about avoiding tragedy, it is about giving young people the skills and confidence to navigate the modern world. DopaGE teaches early warning signs, explains why choices made now matter for the future, and covers practical, life-saving steps like recognizing overdose symptoms and when to call for help.
DopaGE was built with the belief that every family deserves access to prevention, even if they don’t have an expert at the table. That’s why we made it affordable (less than the cost of a single night out), and simple to use. You purchase it once, use it with your family as often as needed. No subscriptions, no hidden fees. At the end of the day, you can’t put a price on a human life. What you can do is make sure your family has the tools to stay safe, informed, and ready.
Imagine sitting at your own dinner table when the questions come, about a headline, a rumor, or something your teen saw online. With DopaGE, you don’t have to scramble for answers or worry about saying the wrong thing. You’ll have the science, the strategies, and the language to confidently guide your family.
Every family deserves access to this kind of comprehensive preparation. I couldn't sit at every family's dinner table. But with DopaGE, I don't have to.
About the Author
Dr. Elizabeth Zona is a double board-certified physician in anesthesiology and addiction medicine. She is the founder of Dr. EMZ Dreams, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to prevention education, and serves as a Clinical Advisor to DopaGE. She regularly speaks to communities and schools about youth drug safety, overdose prevention, and wellness.