Rutherford Community Prevention Coalition

Jami Scheetz knew that her 15-year-old son, Devon, needed help. His grades were slipping and he had been caught va**ng at school so many times that he was on the brink of being expelled. Last fall, at the start of his freshman year, Devon’s school even sent him to the hospital for drug testing after getting in trouble once again. In the emergency room, Devon finally admitted it: He was addicted. “He said to me, ‘Mom, I can’t quit on my own. I need help,'” Scheetz says.

As Kids Get Hooked on Va**ng, Parents Are Desperate for Treatment That Doesn't Exist "It’s an epidemic because there’s no help."

States across the country are considering similar approaches amid research that shows that the drugs along with behavior therapy can help addicts reduce the withdrawal symptoms and cravings that drive many addicts to relapse.

Federal statistics suggest more than half of all inmates in state prisons nationwide have a substance- abuse problem. New York officials say that percentage could be as high as 80 percent in state and local lockups, which at any given time have about 77,000 inmates.

NY considers meds to treat opioid addiction in all lockups Get breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews. Find the top news online at ABC news.

Alcoholism is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the nation.