Pubdate: Thu, 19 Jul 2001
Source: Daily Press (VA)
Copyright: 2001 The Daily Press
Contact:  http://www.dailypress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/585

TEENS ON DRUGS

Newport News Drug Court Must Deal With Causes

Drug addiction often means a lifetime of misery, and most addicts 
eventually run afoul of the law and become an even heavier burden on their 
community.

When that addiction begins during the teen-age years, it just means the 
cost to both the addict and the community lasts longer and comes at a 
greater price.

That's why Newport News' new juvenile drug court is a good idea. Drug 
courts recognize that just throwing addicts in jail only delays their next 
brush with the law and does nothing to rehabilitate them. A juvenile drug 
court is an effort to deal immediately and effectively with teen-agers 
during the early years of their addiction.

The new court to be established in Newport News will provide supervision 
that will include requiring regular drug tests and school attendance. The 
idea is to get the teens off drugs and be sure they stay off drugs -- at 
least as long as they are in the program. That's all the courts can do.

But it takes more than just getting and keeping users free of drugs for a 
period of time to make them free of the need that originally drove them to 
drugs. Whatever the teens' backgrounds, chances are good that there was 
something missing from their lives or something intruding on their lives 
that caused them to end up on drugs.

During their rehabilitation, they need help to find out what that was and 
to deal with it. Perhaps it was too much idle time, trouble with 
schoolwork, or abusive, neglectful or even overbearing parents. Perhaps 
they fell in with the wrong crowd out of loneliness or insecurity.

Whatever the cause, they need to learn to avoid it or deal with it if they 
are to successfully kick the drug habit. And to do that, they probably need 
a lot of one-on-one guidance and counseling.

It's good news that Newport News received a $449,256 federal grant to set 
up its first juvenile drug court. It's equally good that many teens will 
not have to go to jail but will receive assistance in the community to get 
off drugs.

But in the end, someone must give these teens a reason to believe that 
their lives can be better. It's in the best interest of these teens and 
everyone in the community to do just that.
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