A Hamilton father who spent more than $30,000 getting drug treatment for his son in the United States says more facilities for youths with addictions are desperately needed in Ontario.

Maurice Juteau sent his son Ty, 18, to two separate treatment facilities in the U.S. last year to get him much-needed help for his addiction to the powerful and highly addictive painkiller OxyContin.

Ty had been in two residential treatment facilities in Ontario for very short periods but found them inadequate.

His father then hired a consultant who found treatment facilities in Utah and Georgia where Ty spent a total of eight months.

"It saved his life," said Juteau, a Hamilton firefighter. "I was afraid he was going to either end up in jail or dead."

OHIP covered the daily cost of treatment but Juteau had to pay more than $30,000 for travel, car rental and accommodation to visit his son. The visits were crucial as family was considered an important part of the treatment.

However his father said being forced to travel outside of Ontario placed added stress on the family and on Ty.

"There aren't enough programs for teens in trouble in Ontario."

Ty is one of approximately 20 youth between the ages of 13 and 18 who are forced to go outside the province every year for treatment for substance abuse.

In 2008/09, that out-of-country treatment cost the Ministry of Health more than $1.1 million.

The average length of stay was six months, although some stayed as long as one year.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Andrew Morrison said the main reasons youth go out of province for drug treatment are lack of space and because they can't find the right treatment here.

There are 10 residential treatment programs for youth in Ontario that have a total of 127 beds.

Juteau said only two fit the criteria for what Ty needed and even they were inadequate.

Ty would have preferred to stay closer to his family where he feels their support would have been helpful to him.

Ty has been battling an addiction for about four years now.

Two years ago that drug addiction was in full swing. He was stealing to support his drug habit and his disruptive behaviour had forced him out of school.

At one point, his father put a lock on the medicine cabinet because he was drinking the Benadryl.

When the two treatment facilities in Ontario didn't work, the Juteaus were forced to take drastic measures.

Juteau drove his son across the border on the pretense of visiting a music store.

In reality, he'd hired a company that transports troubled teens to different programs in the states.

Ty was taken to an outdoor program called Second Nature Wilderness in Georgia for troubled teens.

He spent nine weeks there then moved to an adolescent residential treatment centre in Utah called Island View where he spent almost six months.

He returned home in January only to relapse shortly after.

"It broke my heart," said Maurice.

"I told him there is only one thing I ask of him if he wants to live at home and that's to be drug free."

Ty is now taking Methadone to control the urges but knows he's a heartbeat away from falling back into his addiction.

One of the problems his father faces now is that Ty is 18 and legally an adult so he can't be forced into any program against his will.

"People need to know there are a lot of kids in trouble out there and we need to step up to the plate and help them," said Juteau.