Treating Adolescent Drug Abuse
Adolescent substance abuse is not normal, nor should it be allowed. It is not a right of passage that kids must go through. Adolescent drug abuse leads to adult drug addiction, to violent behavior, and to a life in and out of jail. For the sake of our youth, their future, and the future of our society, we must continue to work to help these youth. Many programs are designed to treat adolescents with drug or alcohol addiction. When the criminal justice system is connected to these treatment programs, the results are very positive. It is not enough to keep a juvenile in custody, have them serve their time, and send them back out to the streets. We need to treat them for drug abuse in order to see real results.