High: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction

by David Sheff, Nic Sheff

Just Say Know! With drug education for children more important than ever, this nonfiction book draws on the experiences of the NY Times bestselling father/son team of David and Nic Sheff to provide all the information teens and tweens need to know about drugs, alcohol, and addiction.

From David Sheff, author of Beautiful Boy  (2008), and Nic Sheff, author of Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines (2008), comes the ultimate resource for learning about the realities of drugs and alcohol for middle grade readers.
     This book tells it as it is, with testimonials from peers who have been there and families who have lived through the addiction of a loved one, along with the cold, hard facts about what drugs and alcohol do to our bodies. From how to navigate peer pressure to outlets for stress to the potential consequences for experimenting, Nic and David Sheff lay out the facts so that middle grade readers can educate themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Addiction, Parenting, Audiobook, Drugs, Mental Health, Self Help

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2019

About the author

David Sheff is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Beautiful Boy. Sheff's other books include Game Over, China Dawn, and All We Are Saying. His many articles and interviews have appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Playboy, Wired, Fortune, and elsewhere. His ongoing research and reporting on the science of addiction earned him a place on Time Magazine's list of the World's Most Influential People. Sheff and his family live in Inverness, California.

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes.

Everything about this is a yes.

And while nothing can be "everything you want to know..." it comes pretty darn close and father/son Sheff's telling the story is a laudable approach and it's done so well. The visually stimulating layout, quotes, facts, interspersed storytelling, organization, first-person accounting is as objective and subjective at the same time. They make it personal but impersonal. They tell stories of others. They share candidly. So while there's a blitz to legalize marijuana everywhere and we have an opioid epidemic and our life expectancy is down DECLINING because of suicide and drug overdoses, let's continue to pretend its all okay and there's nothing we can do about it. Wrong. Get people to open there eyes. Start by reading this book.

Appreciative of their willingness to continue to dive back into the murky waters of addiction and share their mental health struggles as they both are bipolar alongside discussing overarching addiction but specifically how everyone is different in their reaction to drugs and alcohol but that precautions and safeguards must be put in place to curb it. Well said.

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would have had this book before entering my teenage years.

It is a great conversation starter for parents and empowers kids with knowledge. It talks about what each drug looks like, what they are called, how they are used, and the side effects. It is well written and will hopefully empower more children to "Just say no" because they have learned via the "just say know" method offered here.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing a segment on the Today Show about this book, I knew our library had to purchase it. Our library also purchased copies for schools in our district. There is so much great, easy to understand information in this book. It's an excellent resource to help kids understand how drugs affect people (especially teens brains), but also the multiple reasons why people use drugs. I followed my own teens around the house reading excerpts of the book to them. This is a must have book in a middle school or high school collection. Some age ranges start at 10, but that feels a little young to me. I don't think it would hurt parents to read it either. Fascinating!

[Garrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the ideal audience for this book is parents with little to no knowledge about the world of drugs and how it is intertwined in youth culture.

I am at the age and am in the demographic where drug usage is something I am very familiar with and is something I have experienced. Although there were some interesting tidbits about drug usage, I found this book to be very surface-level information. Even though it was written in 2019, it had some aspects that reminded me of the 2010 DARE programs.

I felt this book severely lacked in discussing preventative harm techniques, which was slightly disappointing for me. There was little to no discussion about the importance of clean needles or safe-usage sites, how essential it is for opiate users to carry naloxone, about treatment for modern opiate addiction, about drug-purity testing kits, and about cross-contamination of drugs.

However, I will give credit where credit is due. The modern drug market is filled with many types of illicit substances that parents may not be familiar with due to their lack of connection to the generation the market targets. This book may be a good starting point for these parents. However, if your goal is to truly educate your child on the risks of drug usage, I think more discussion regarding informed decision-making and preventative harm needs to be included.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't really the kind of book you read for fun. It is the kind of book that you read to be informed. David Sheff and his son, Nic, set out to inform readers about drugs and they do a thorough job of it. They start off by sharing Nic's story which revolves around his struggles with mental illness and drug addiction. This leads to an explanation for why they wrote this book: giving readers the facts and science that will help them make their own decisions about drug and alcohol use. The rest of the book talks about what leads to drug use and abuse, personal stories of pain and addiction as well as recovery, the consequences of drug use and abuse, and numerous statistics from various studies and reports. Part two focuses on specific drugs and their effect on the body. Part three looks at addiction, how it happens, who it effects, and how to get past it. The last part of the book provides charts and graphs about various drugs as well as resources to go to for more information and/or help. I found this to be an important source of information on a topic of great concern to young people. Drug use and abuse can have catastrophic consequences and often occurs because of ignorance and stress. The Sheff's don't shy away from discussions about mental illness and the struggles that go with it either. While the chapters about specific drugs got a bit technical, the book, overall, if fairly readable. An important resource that needs to be available for high school students especially.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading "Tweak" i looked to "High" for guidance as a a parent of a teen and tips/talking points for preventing addiction. I was a bit underwhelmed with this book. From a reference perspective, it is good and provides details of the drugs kids could encounter.

However, i think the overall concept of "Just say know" is naive. Nic himself says if he had a book like this he may not have started drugs. But, he says that as an adult and i think he lost perspective on the teenage brain. Kids today are much more aware of drugs and even the impact of drugs. They have the internet, access to a wealth of information, they read about celebrity/rock star ODs, etc. But kids are still immortal in their own minds and the "that won't happen to me" mentality is just as present as it always was.

I do hope this book can indeed have a positive impact and perhaps prevent some from going down the wrong path. I just am a bit pessimistic that it can. I was looking for the "secret" to stop kids from getting into drugs. I don't think i found it here.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this book was written for tweens/teens when I started it. I was familiar with the story through the film “Beautiful Boy.” But this book is really great for anyone wanting to learn more about addiction and talking to your family about it.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an earnest and sincere story by a man and his father who have seen the worst of what drugs can do, and want to help others avoid the pain they went through as Nic wandered high through junior high and high school and then sunk into deeper addictions that left him crazed and desperate. I'm not sure who the audience is, though. Kids thinking about experimenting might find it too lectury -- I know I tuned out all the lectures from former addicts in school. There is a lot of talk about how much drugs will screw you up and how no one expects to become an addict, but I'd prefer a more direct look at why drugs are so appealing. Yes, some are like Nic and almost instantly become addicts, but it's a slower pace for most so maybe acknowledge why many casual users are willing to risk things. Otherwise it is just more lectures (truthful! honest! but lectures) from people on the other side.

[Aistė Šopa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visai kitoks skaitinys (klausymas) - negrožinė knyga apie narkotikus. Daug įdomios ir naudingos informacijos, kuria norėjosi dalintis su vaikais, mokiniais ir kitais jaunais žmonėm. Vienas iš knygos sudarytojų iš narkotikų liūno išlipęs vyras (8 metus nevartojantis), kitas - jo tėvas, stebėjęs sūnaus gyvenimo nuokalnes iš šalies. Buvo įdomu klausytis istorijų iš jų pačių gyvenimo ir to, ką išanalizavę, surinkę faktus ir statistiką pateikė knygoje. Reikia daugiau tokių knygų!

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, comprehensive breakdown of drugs and their effects— both good and bad. This reads as a bit DARE-y at points, but honestly, it’s more authentic coming from people that have actually struggled with addiction. It’ll be a great non-fiction addition to my classroom library!

[Hailie Roblyer]

This is super informative and helpfully written! The topic of addiction is woefully under addressed.

[Veronica Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Very educational. I feel like I have a much better understanding of why people react differently to drugs. I think this would be an excellent book for parents and children to read together.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

(audio)
Listened to this on 1.5x, so it went super fast. I felt like it was worth listening to and I want to share some things/use it as a way to start conversations with my kids. *Note: this book is written to teens*
I like that it talks positively about there always being a way to make it back and sobriety, the way it talks about addiction, and how substances impact everyone differently.

[Rebecca McLennan Barens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm the wrong demographic. I'm past the trying drug phase...

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book's strength is the fact that it never talks down to teens; rather, it meets them where they are, whether that's having tried drugs, suffering from a drug problem, or not experiencing them at all. Nic's personal anecdotes (as well as the others sprinkled throughout the text) personalize and add realism to the data they present. There's certainly a "drugs are bad!" point being pushed, but I think it's handled with care and that teens will learn a good deal.

[Kimberly Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after Beautiful Boy. Excellent content for teens...written directly to them, to inform without preaching. Good facts supplemented by Nic's firsthand experience. I liked some of the suggestions, like meditation, and the way they debunk myths about drug use. The book is about 200pp, with appealing graphics and endnotes with resources.

[Brigitte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened as audio. I really don’t think telling kids to start a school club is sound advice against drug addiction… I found the stories engaging, but also dramatized. Particularly the descriptions of young girls physical appearances were a bit overdone. The book tries to explain that addiction happens to anyone just like you, and picks a decent selection of stories to drive home this point. Nevertheless, I just listened to Tom Felton’s memoir and that did a better job than this book explaining the emotional trauma and life-sucking force of addiction. I also found many statistics used a tad misguided, particularly the ones revolving around social media. One stated that users of social media are 70% more likely to use drugs. I feel this is more of a reflection on the small percentage that doesn’t use social media than an accurate depiction of social media related risk. Hopefully someone else gets something useful out of this book. Maybe it was just too short to dig into what I was looking for based on the description.

[Jennifer Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After terrifying myself with “Dopesick” and realizing I have not one clue about the terrain today’s teens are navigating, substance-wise, I learned about this book. While the graphic design elements practically gave me a migraine every time I picked it up to read a bit (it’s appropriately not designed for my old eyes) I’m glad I stuck with it. Helpful, factual, non-judgemental, thorough, and empowering information in here. Thoughtful use of real-life examples to illustrate the point, but not so many nor so intense/extreme ones as to detract from the message. Definitely a huge improvement over “just say no” and fried eggs.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the biggest fan of this educational book aimed at teens and parents. For one thing, the flashy, colorful pages were of poor quality. The blue sections where Nic Sheff discusses about his own experience smudge easily and applying any form of pressure on those section of the page marked the opposite page. The information provided was at times great, but most of the times generic. There was a lot of fear-mongering, which I understand considering the Sheff family experience. But it was also centering their experience, as a family with a history of addiction and mental health issues. Some information presented was exaggerated (MDMA was presented like a very scary and dangerous drug, despote the fact that MDMA is actually very useful in helping people with PTSD heal their trauma, in the presence of doctors and specialists). I first thought I maybe had the wrong information about MDMA. But then we got to the synthetic canabinoids section, where I've read from a lot of experts, and the information was often incorrect (particularly the chemistry and effects). I also question some of the authors' conclusion. Despite their assertion that offering a teenager alcohol under parental supervision is likely dangerous, I can talk from my own experience that such an experience made me and many of my friends indifferent to alcohol when it was offered to us later; if alcohol wasn't this big "no" at home, it wasn't cool enough to get drunk. The abstinence-only or delayed drinking recommended in America seems to fair poorly, and all one has to do is have a look across the pond, in Europe (where I'm from), where we have a much more healthy relationship with alcohol. I wish the book discussed more about why addiction is so bad in America: sorry, but the abysmal health care system and lack of social security are BIG drivers for addiction-related deaths; and don't get me started on the workaholic culture that leads to parents enrolling their kids into whatever activity as long as they don't need to interact with their children after a long exhausting day at work. The slogan they suggested: "Just say know" stays very close to the "Just say no" complete abstinence messages that have failed many generations already. A briefer "Just know" longer book would be more informative in my opinion. And putting the emphasis on the user, instead of the bigger societal problems, is only going to help a small number of people, likely not the ones most at risk. (for e.g.: I got really angry when the authors suggested that long-term pot smoking is linked with poorer quality of life without presenting any data on how pot-smoking is more prevalent in poor, underdeveloped neighborhoods as a form of coping with the way society abuses and abandons such neighborhoods; it's a chicken and egg problem, except by now we have a lot of data indicating the chicken is society, and the egg is addiction)

[SaraJane · Rating 3 out of 5]

If we think we’re supposed to be happy all the time, we can feel like failures when we’re sad or anxious or bored. Ironically, learning that life is hard-sometimes really hard-makes life easier. We can enjoy the good times but know that hard times are okay, too.....That’s just the way it is, and it’s okay; part of fully experiencing life is fully experiencing the range of life - the good and the bad.

Some teens use synthetic marijuana, which despite its name isn't marijuana and has completely different effects and risks......research has shown that many long-term pot smokers have reported poor outcomes on a variety of life satisfaction and achievement measures.

Compared to someone who gets high once or twice at a party and then stops, an addict's motivation to use drugs is vastly different......they will do things that stun even them. A person's brain adapts so it's dependent on a drug. Without it, an addict can feel depressed, overwhelmed, and as if they can't function in life without drugs. They may lie and steal. Formerly gentle people can become violent as their addiction deepens. It's truly as if they become a different person, and in a way, they do. Our identity, consciousness, memories, sensations, and other things that define us are centered in our brains. Our brains are us. If our brains change, we change.

In many families, people become obsessed with the person who's using. Parents can't work or are distracted or apt to become angry or depressed. When a brother or sister is addicted, a sibling can feel abandoned and unsafe, and they can become angry, too - and then feel guilty because they're angry.

Many of the same things that drive a person to drugs in the first place can drive them back again: depression or anxiety, feeling insecure, and being with kids who are getting high, experiencing problems at home or confusion about their lives.

I didn't think anything could ever change the way I felt inside. Drugs and alcohol seemed like the only things that could help in any way. But, of course, they only served to make everything worse. What I know now, however, is that there's help out there. I'd suggest to kids that they pay a lot of attention to how they're feeling. Everyone feels sad sometimes.....but intense and persistent feelings of anxiety, sadness, insecurity...aren't normal, and you don't have to live with them. If I'd known to pay attention to how I was feeling, maybe I would have asked for help.

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our nation is currently facing a major drug crisis. HIGH: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction is a timely book written by bestselling authors, (and father-son duo) David and Nic Sheff. This powerful book provides insight on drug experimentation, details and side effects about drugs, statistics, stories from users and information about quitting. It’s appealing because it’s written by two people who have lived through it.

Growing up, Nic was popular and a good student, but inside he felt insecure. Sounds like a lot of tweens and teens, doesn’t it? So, he tried pot to numb those feeling, eventually moving onto more drugs. After his first attempt at meth, he became addicted. It happened that fast! His life became a downward spiral of addiction, homelessness and doing things he once thought unthinkable.

HIGH is a straightforward book told through Nic’s experience and countless other addicted teens. Not only is it educational, but the teens’ stories tug at your heart as they open up about their struggles with addiction. Their voices give real-life perspective of what it’s like to be addicted. They don’t preach and they don’t judge --- which I think will appeal to teens.

Addiction doesn’t stop when the toxins leave the body. In fact, the user is facing the hardest challenges of their lives like addressing underlying problems (anxiety, stress or depression are very common). Nic feels that drugs robbed him of learning how to deal with stress, anxiety, failure and difficult emotions. He had to relearn how to handle his emotions. He explains that relapse is very common and dangerous. He encourages users to learn from their relapse. Nic believes that preventing relapses should encompass multiple strategies like joining a peer group, seeking physicians help and finding a sober home. He understands that quitting is scary and it’s very difficult to quit alone.

After learning that drugs are the leading cause of death for people under 50, I think HIGH should be read and shared with all teachers, parents and students.

[AvidReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Report "High Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction"

Name of the book: High Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction

Author: Nic Sheff

Date: 11/1/20

Summarize in three sentences:
High is a guide to drugs, alcohol and addiction written by former crystal meth addict Nic Sheff. After Nic gives up drugs and becomes a writer he writes “High” to further educate people about addition and drug use. Before writing “High” Nic Sheff has also written Tweak documenting his own experiences on drugs.

Most impressive sentences or parts and reasons What you feel or learn from this book :
I think the biggest thing to learn from “High” is that drug use although might seem cool and popular has devastating consequences. While enjoying alcoholic beverages in moderation is okay drugs in general should never be abused or taken recreationally.

My judgment:
I think “High” did a great job teaching the audience what drugs really were and the effects of them. In addition to taking a good non biased objective view on the whole situation.

Whom you can recommend and why:
I can recommend this book to both parents and kids alike as it is very factual and has lots of good info for tweens and teenagers.

[Mari Bianco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be another BEAUTIFUL BOY or TWEAKED (and I loved both of those books so hard for totally different reasons. I also recently watched the movie BEAUTIFUL BOY with Steve Carell, which was excellent), but I can’t say that I loved this book. Having loved everything I’ve read by Nic and David Sheff on the past, I thought I would never be able to put this book down. But HIGH was not that book. It was a glimpse of father and son who have both been through hell and back with Nic Sheff’s addiction, but it was not a part of their personal narrative; it was informative and educational, but not another glimpse of their story. Fortunately, Nic survived a horrific method addiction, is clean, and the struggle he faces now is the aftermath he’s currently living in. And, I hate to say it, but his reflections about his days of addiction are far better than this how-to book on why not to take drugs or drink alcohol.

On the other hand, I highly recommend this book to someone who is struggling with addiction or parents of someone struggling with addiction. In that respect, it is very informative and eye-opening. But, if you are looking for another BEAUTIFUL BOY or TWEAKED, this is not that book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff teamed up to write High: Everything You Want to Know About Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction. The book is part informational text, part memoir and self-help book. It works brilliantly. It's tough to find books about addiction aimed at young adults that reflect honest real-life experiences. High also gives you the tools you need to get help if you need it. The Sheffs don't set themselves up as experts. Repeatedly, they say that no one treatment plan or style works for everyone. Their real-life experience coupled with factual information presents a realistic portrait of what addiction is like and why life is better sober. My only complaint is about the design elements of the book. Blue text is much harder to read especially for readers who wear glasses. Also the red and blue inner panels with the dot design are very distracting. If the point of the design were to simulate being high, it worked. I highly recommend this book for parents of teenagers, teachers and counselors. Addiction can be very subtle and easy to miss especially in high achieving kids.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. It is short and to the point. It gives information to young people about alcohol and drug addiction. It is straightforward without an attempt to frighten the reader which I assume will be teenagers. Some of the real-life examples can be frightening, but the authors do not attempt to bump up the fear. Simple descriptions. Come to your own conclusions.

My only complaint is that it gets a little lame toward the end. It ends with a father-son dialogue. Since this book was written by a father and son it makes sense to have the dialogue, but the dialogue was somewhat contrived. Nevertheless, it provided good information.

Any modesty issues? The F-Word was used on occasion. Sex was discussed obliquely saying that girls passed out could be taken advantage of. This is obvious, but it had to be said for completeness sake.

FYI, in between my writing this review, I am answering the phones for Alcoholics Anonymous. I also run an AA meeting at the local county jail once a week.

I'll definitely read this book again.

[Lisa Cerqueira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clearly-written, straightforward discussion of why young people (all people really, but focuses on teenagers) are drawn to drugs, how they get addicted, how drugs and alcohol effect the brain and body, and what real-life people have done to get clean.

Written by both Nic and David Sheff (son and father), they speak in plain language about their experience with Nic's addiction and what they've learned talking to other teens and families across the country. They take the issue squarely out of the moral realm and address it as a disease that can be treated.

My heart aches learning of the magnitude of how many teens are turning to substances and the damage it wreaks in their lives and the lives of those who love them. I plan to share this book with my son and hope and pray reading about Nic's experiences will have an impact that my own warnings may not. And I wish the same for anyone who's concerned about substance use — their own and/or among the people they love.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic father/son creation. David and Nic are the father and son in the book, "Beautiful Boy," and the basis for the recent movie. This book is a comprehensive handbook for tweens, teens, adults, and especially adults who are parents. EVERYONE can learn something from this book. One of the main themes of the book is that "Just say No" has not worked; their emphasis is "Just say KNOW." In other words, educate yourself, and your tween or teen, so that armed with information you/they can make educated choices. There is no judgment found in the book, just carefully researched information, with David and Nic's experiences skillfully mixed in. There are pages and pages of resources, websites, and practical help in the back of the book.

[Bipin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine read, targeting the teenage audience or even younger as the need arises. Easy to read, hammers home the message that drugs and/or drinks are bad. Every teenager who wants to experiment with just one hit or a pint or a shot need to read this. The title is apt, everything you (as a general audience) want (need) to know about drugs, alcohol, and addiction. After reading the title, I expected a dense book on the biology and psychology aspects of addiction. This book briefly touched upon the science behind drugs and addiction, but mostly focused on the human side of it all, with snippets of the stories of people who have been through such situations. I read the ebook and it was visually appealing with figures and graphs in American colors red and blue.

[johnny ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

while i was under the impression this would be something more like “tweak” — this is a great resource for teens. as a recovering addict, i was very moved by the personal stories and felt everything was very detailed. as someone who graduated with a minor in psychology, i think the information is palatable for teens. this book was not written for me, but i feel that it may have helped me out when i was younger. addiction sucks. i especially enjoyed the section about relapse, as many times i have been tempted to relapse or have relapsed. like nic and david, i also have bipolar disorder and i was glad this book looked at how drug addiction is more prevalent in people with mental illness. i hope to stay clean, but i know i’ll always have addictive behaviors. it’s a process.

[Jack Curcuru · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book High, by David Sheff is a informational book. It talks about addiction and the different types, how to deal with addiction, and how to prevent it. It has a lot of stories of people and what they are dealing with and there personal first hand experience.


I liked the book i thought it was very helpful to people with addiction and really makes you wanna stay away from all that stuff. I thought the stories that it told were very inspirational in a way to show the hard truth behind all the drug. I gave it 4 stars because I thought it was good it just got boring some times with all the information. If you like a lot of information and wanna be more educated on substances and alcohol then it is a very good for you.