According to the study conducted at the University of Michigan, 53 percent of all American adolescents have tried an illegal drug by the time they have finished high school. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the rate of binge drinking among those ages 18 to 20 has increased by 56 percent from 1993 to 2001.

PLNDP plans to present a report to Congress and every state governor that focuses on the misuse of illegal substances among adolescents. The report calls for more treatment programs tailored to the needs of teenagers.

"You can't just apply the adult model to teenagers. We need a new investment for what we know works for children," said Dr. David Lewis, a physician at Brown University and the lead author of the physician group's report.

According to the report, teen addiction treatment programs must involve parents and other family members and allow adolescents to continue with their schoolwork. In addition, teen treatment needs a different approach to psychological counseling because most teens enrolled in treatment programs have other psychiatric problems, such as attention deficit disorder, depression, and trauma from sexual or physical abuse.

The report also pushes for additional funding for prevention and treatment, and reduced spending on incarcerating juvenile drug offenders.

In addition, PLNDP supports training for judges and criminal-justice officials in order to work with healthcare professionals in drug courts handling juvenile offenders.