COURT: CURE TEEN ADDICT, CUT CRIME

The pregnant 14-year-old was so hooked on marijuana that she would arrive
early at her anti-drug counseling sessions - so she could meet up with a
friend to sneak outside and smoke a joint.

The 17-year-old high school athlete loved playing his sport - but not
enough to give up drinking, which eventually led to his being kicked off
the team after he was arrested Labor Day on a charge of drunken driving.

The 16-year-old girl started drinking at age 9 and smoking pot when she was
11 - but saw nothing unusual about her behavior and fought with anyone who
suggested otherwise.

These are the children of Juvenile Drug Court, a 10-month-old program in
Campbell County designed to help addicted, crime-oriented teen-agers before
they become addicted, crime-oriented adults.

It's part of a national trend that began more than 10 years ago with Drug
Courts for adults and based on the theory that if you cure a person's
addiction to drugs or alcohol, you cure the tendency to commit crimes.

After that, someone brought up the idea that if it works for adults, it
should work for children, who often wind up on the wrong side of the law
because of problems at home that include drug and alcohol addictions.

''My experience is that it's working,'' said Campbell District Judge D.
Michael ''Mickey'' Foellger. ''Some of the kids have been clean for months.
And we're helping the families. Some of the parents have cut back on their
drinking or quit entirely.''

With the Juvenile Drug Court up and running in Campbell County, Kenton
County officials are taking a look at starting one. Kenton District Judge
Doug Grothaus, juvenile prosecutor Ken Easterling and other juvenile
workers from Kenton County sat in on a session of the Campbell County Drug
Court earlier this month.

Like any other juvenile court session, the Drug Court is confidential and
closed to the public. But Foellger allowed a Post reporter to observe the
session on the condition that none of the youths or their parents be
identified.

Juveniles who enter the court system for anything other than a violent or
sex-related crime are eligible. Not all agree to take part, however. In
many cases, the time and effort on their part amount to more than if the
teen simply served whatever sentence a judge handed down.

In Drug Court, the teens must come to court every two weeks for an
indeterminate period. They must agree to random drug testings, a curfew,
and counseling sessions, both with and without their parents.

Juvenile Drug Court not only attempts to cure the teen of drug abuse, it
also brings in parents or other family members who - knowingly or
unknowingly - contribute to or even encourage their child's troubles. The
parents also must agree to participate in the bi-weekly court appearances
and counseling sessions.

Frequently, the child's drug or alcohol abuse is part of a family pattern.

'What we're supposed to do is try to help them turn their lives around -
help them deal with the fact they may have parents who use drugs and
alcohol on a regular basis, and we work with that family,'' said C. Houston
''Hoot'' Ebert, the Drug Court coordinator for Northern Kentucky.

Turning around addicted teen-agers is not easy. They rarely recognize their
problems and see little reason to stop. They can be manipulative, full of
explanations and excuses for every aspect of their behavior. They have
conned parents, teachers, employers and social workers.

Once in the program, they find their lives are constantly monitored. They
start by attending up to three counseling sessions a week. They must either
work or go to school - if not both.

Sanctions for any failures - a positive drug test, a missed session, an
arrest - are, in the words of Foellger, ''swift, immediate and severe.''

Some call for a fine, an earlier curfew or several hours of community services.

Some failures are punished by a weekend in jail - and the teen will leave
the Thursday afternoon court session and head directly across the parking
lot to the Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

''That gets their attention,'' Foellger said.

Foellger oversees the sessions in his role as judge, but he often steps
outside his black robes.

He plays the role of paternal nag, stern disciplinarian and encouraging
coach. He lectured one teen about hanging around with the same crowd he
used to get into trouble with.

''We're trying to create an environment of non-using friends,'' Foellger
told the youth.

''If you're hanging out with friends who are smoking marijuana or drinking,
you are more likely to be tempted.''

One teen who missed an appointment with a counselor was fined $50 and
warned not to let it happen again.

Another had a questionable drug test - his urine was diluted, raising the
question of whether he drank vast quantities of water to hide drug use -
and was ordered to perform eight hours of community service on a Saturday,
his one day off from work.

''If they don't work, we have to occupy their time,'' Foellger said. ''One
of the philosophies of this program is no idle time.''

Side Note: Teen Drug Use:

After rising throughout most of the 1990s, drug use by teen-agers fell both
locally and nationally in 1998 and 1999.

A 1998 survey of 47,000 students in grades seven to 12 at schools in
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky showed that fewer young people report
using drugs such as hallucinogens, cocaine and heroin.

But marijuana use remained constant at 16 percent, and alcohol use
increased to 30 percent.

A national survey in 1998 showed that 9.9 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds
had used some sort of drug in the previous year, down from 11.4 percent in
1997.

That same survey showed that 8.3 percent of teens reported using marijuana.