DARE TO REHAB

America's children have a problem and the federal government is taking
the first step toward helping them. It will be the first step of a
very long hike, though. President Bush asked Congress this week to
authorize a $127 million increase for drug treatment.

Roughly 1.1 million youth 12-17 years old have problems with drugs and
alcohol.

This statistic is part of a just-released yearlong study charting drug
abuse in the United States. Conducted by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, the study reports of those
underage users, only about 122,000 of them got treatment in 2000,
roughly 1 in 10.

The numbers aren't encouraging. If only 10 percent of these children
are receiving help, we are sending almost one million individuals into
adulthood already behind the curve and ill-prepared to become
productive members of society.

The new study also shows that about 4.7 million Americans 12 and older
are abusing or dependent on illegal drugs. Of that number, 3.9 million
received no treatment in 2000.

While President Bush's idea is a move in the right direction,
substance abuse experts say the funds are a drop in the bucket next to
what is needed to adequately address the problems.

Children fare even worse than their adult counterparts when it comes
to treatment options. The scant number of facilities catering to youth
are almost always at capacity and often aren't available locally. The
cost of a yearlong residential treatment program can be equivalent to
sending the youngster to a year of college.

The correlation between adult drug addiction and criminal activity is
well documented. The exorbitant amount government agencies spend on
law enforcement, court proceedings and prison construction and
maintenance could be put to better use.

An investment now in drug treatment for teens will pay off tenfold in
the future. Bush needs to increase the amount of money he is asking
for in order to truly make a difference in the lives of these children.