RECOVERED ADDICT BRINGS TEENS MESSAGE OF HOPE

Lozano Speaks At Columbus Teen Challenge Event

On Jan. 7, 1974, Henry C. Lozano was a heroin addict when he entered the Teen
Challenge program in Los Angeles. Today he's driven to help those who want to
help substance abusers who want to help themselves.

Lozano was the keynote speaker at the annual banquet/fund-raiser of Columbus
Teen Challenge Tuesday evening at the Columbus Trade & Convention Center.
Earlier in the day, he spoke to Teen Challenge girls (ages 13-17) at the Yuchi
Reservation in Seale, Ala., and the Teen Challenge Women (18 and older) in
Columbus.

"God saved my life when I walked into Teen Challenge," Lozano told the group
gathered in the Columbus Teen Challenge facility at 2021 Sixth Ave. "The Lord
has kept me. I have never been the same since. Through his power, I've been
able to carry the message of hope to thousands across this nation."

Teen Challenge was established in 1958 by David Wilkerson, said Jerry Nance,
president of Teen Challenge for Georgia and Florida. "There are 185 Teen
Challenge centers in the United States and more than 100 centers in 72
countries including, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, England and Latin
America," he said.

There are 60 students in the local program.

"By the time someone enters Teen Challenge, almost every relationship and
family tie that might have been helpful in recovering has been shattered, and
the individual has usually formed strong relationships with people and/or
groups that actually perpetuate the addiction spiral," the Teen challenge Web
site reports.

The story of how Teen Challenge started is told in the book "The Cross and the
Switchblade." The motion picture version starred Pat Boone and Erik Estrada.

When Wilkerson founded Teen Challenge, it was in response to the growing number
of teens who were shooting heroin, Nance said. "But the drug addicts grew up --
and the name though much discussed has not been changed. Today the median age
in Teen Challenge is 23 to 24."

The youngest local Teen Challenge participant is a 13-year-old girl, Nance
said. Last year, however, a 65-year-old man graduated from a Florida program.

Nance, who is a minister, said God led him to find the 65-year-old, who was
face down in the street.

Teen Challenge is a faith-based program, Nance said. "We don't make apologies
for that."

Adults in the program have three major areas of concentration: spirituality,
relationships with themselves and relationships with their families, and work
ethic, Nance said. Addicts typically have to be taught to generate the income
needed to take care of themselves and their obligations, he said.

Though they may use drugs, very few Teen Challenge kids are addicts, Nance
said. "They are at-risk. They are dropouts. Their parents can't do anything
with them."

Lozano is president and CEO of Californians for a Drug-Free Youth, and he
serves on nearly 20 committees, boards and other volunteer positions dedicated
to helping President Bush fight the "War on Drugs." These include the
President's Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities, United States
Department of Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services and United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement
Administration. He's worked for the last three presidents -- George H.W. Bush,
Bill Clinton and George Walker Bush.

There is $500 million in grants available for community coalitions -- drug-free
communities-- Lozano said. "These are non-competitive grants. There is value in
local folks working together."