Are you one of the parents who, when their kid is ready to go off to college, says (or thinks): ‘I sure hope he doesn’t get into drugs or alcohol’? If you’ve had such a thought, you’re probably among the majority of parents these days. Colleges are notorious for rampant drug and alcohol abuse, prompting some people to think there should be centers on every campus for an alcohol and drug rehab program.

In fact, a case could be made that before most teenagers leave for college they should be checked out for substance abuse problems and, if there is a situation, they should complete a drug rehab program before leaving home.

Yes, that sounds extreme, but there are statistics to suggest that it may not be so far-fetched an idea for many young adults. In 2006, one million people took cocaine for the first time, and their average age was only 20. And the number of people who were introduced to the hugely popular club drug called Ecstasy was the same as for cocaine – a million people, average age 20.

More than 2 million people also tried marijuana for the first time in 2006, and their average age was only 17 – still in high school. What are these kids going to be ready to try when they hit the freedom of college? Heroin? Oh no, not a chance. Who uses heroin at college?

In fact, plenty of kids try heroin at college, although it’s certainly not the most popular college drug. But nearly 100,000 people were introduced to heroin in 2006, and their average age was also 20 years old, the same age as cocaine introduction and the same age that most college kids become seriously involved in substance abuse. These kids should all be headed for drug rehab, not their next lecture.

Now let’s look at alcohol. The statistics for alcohol abuse in colleges across the country are staggering. We’re not talking about one or two beers at a party – we’re talking about the serious, death-defying abuse called binge drinking. This is the dangerous kind of alcohol abuse that can very quickly raise blood alcohol content to a lethal level, at which point some college kids – about one a month at a college somewhere in America – drops into a coma and dies.

So we have millions of college-age kids living somewhere away from home beyond their parents’ observation and control. Millions of kids taking drugs – dangerous drugs, addictive drugs – or binge drinking.

A lot more than an education is wasted if your kid lands in jail on felony drug charges, or in hospital in a coma on life support, or worst of all, in a morgue. If your kid is going to college soon, or is already in college, you should do everything you can to ensure they’re not involved in drugs or alcohol. And if they are, you need to get him or her in front of a drug rehab counselor. You want your kids to get the best education possible, ready to achieve their goals in life. A drug rehab program counselor will help you cut through the denials and excuses, discover how serious it is, and help save your child’s future and possibly their life in an alcohol and drug rehab program.