When an adolescent's normal rite of passage gets derailed by drug and Alcohol abuse, parents may be at a loss.

But according to Illinois-based addictions expert and senior research psychologist Michael Dennis, parents need to be as proactive about addiction as they would be about cancer.

"Compare it to cancer," he says. "Cancer is a chronic condition. The earlier you catch it, the more successful treatment is."

Dennis will lead a forum at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Upland Center at Alvernia University, Reading, on "When the Rite of Passage Goes Wrong: What Parents Should Know About Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Abuse." The event is sponsored by the Council on Chemical Abuse and Caron Treatment Centers.

Caron, which has a residential drug and Alcohol treatment center in Wernersville and outpatient facilities in Wyomissing, also provides student-assistance program services in three Lancaster County schools.

"If you start treatment and don't finish it, the cancer is going to get worse," Dennis says. "If you don't monitor it and treat it, there's more chance of relapse."

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In 2004, approximately 22.5 million Americans ages 12 or older needed treatment for substance abuse and drug and Alcohol addiction. But only 3.8 million received treatment, according to the Caron Web site (www.caron.org).

Although recent research studies indicate that illicit drug abuse is down in adolescents, nonmedical prescription drug abuse remains high.

One way to confront the problem is through early intervention in schools, says Tammy Granger, Caron regional student services coordinator for Berks and Lancaster counties, Florida and Georgia.

Student assistance programs are mandatory in Pennsylvania, and various providers, including Caron, provide free assessments, support and referral services in schools. For almost two decades, Caron has guided East Coast SAPs, with the highest concentration in Pennsylvania.

In Lancaster County, Caron now serves Solanco High School, Garden Spot High School and Garden Spot Middle School.

Requests for SAP services may come from the student, a concerned teacher or parent.

"They may be seeing some significant changes," Granger says. "The idea is to provide a community approach and treatment."

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Dennis is no stranger to drug and Alcohol abuse, personally and professionally.

He recalls being a depressed, suicidal teen, drinking too much and using marijuana.

"But for the grace of God, I got better," he says.

The 48-year-old father of three - he lost another child to cystic fibrosis - also helped one of his children deal with substance abuse.

Dennis received his doctorate from Northwestern University and was recently featured on the HBO documentary "Addiction." He has been coordinating center director and co-principal investigator of more than a dozen adolescent treatment research and grant programs.

The bottom line, he says, is that addictions treatment isn't once and done but ongoing. Often there are underlying problems, such as mental-health issues - even among young people - that need to be addressed.

"It isn't like a broken bone, that once it's treated, it's fixed," he says.

Drug addiction should be treated like any other chronic illness, with relapse indicating the need for renewed intervention, he says.

Relapse rates for addictive diseases usually are in the range of 50 to 90 percent, according to Caron.

"Treatment starts sobriety," Dennis says, "but doesn't necessarily sustain it."

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Many adolescents start using by the age of 15, Dennis says.

Most who try drugs or Alcohol don't get addicted.

"But once you do get addicted, there's a slippery slope," he says.

Addiction often peaks in young adulthood. But intervention in the first 10 years of the addiction can significantly deter it.

What can parents do?

"There's a temptation for parents to say, 'Oh, he'll just grow out it,' " Dennis says. "Some parents have used themselves. But they shouldn't start telling war stories. That will backfire.

"Parents need to realize that the potency of drugs today is quite different. This isn't your father's joint.

"Don't freak out, but make it clear you don't want them to use. It's pretty ruthless, but I'm not above drug-testing."

Parents should gauge the severity of the problem, and if necessary, seek professional help.

"Connect with your kids," Dennis says. "Know where they are and who their friends are."

As a family, engage in fun things to compete with drug abuse, he says.

Give kids structure, and celebrate success.

"It used to be cancer was an unspoken reality," he says. "Today survivorship is celebrated.

"Recovery (from addiction) is like cancer used to be, and survivorship isn't celebrated.

"But it should be."