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HISTORY

A Brief History of the Troubled Teen Industry and the War on Drugs

Nora Ashleigh Barrie | March 19, 2023

The Troubled Teen Industry is a multi-billion dollar per year industry primarily operating within the United States, with Utah being home to more programs than anywhere else in the world. These programs operate under the idea that they can disguise abuse of juveniles as helpful therapy, where in reality, almost every survivor of this industry reports significant and life-altering, long-term mental and physical health problems due to their time in these abusive and neglectful programs.

a brief history of

The

Troubled

Teen

Industry

&

The

War

On

Drugs

1958

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Synanon Opened

  • Drug rehab for adults
    • They were there voluntarily and could leave ​at any time.

1963

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Daytop Village Opened

  • Drug rehab for adults
    • They were there voluntarily and could leave ​at any time

1967

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CEDU Founded

  • First "umbrella" company of multiple TTI programs ​and types under one company that owned many ​programs

1970

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The Seed Opened

  • Drug rehab for youth
    • Children were there involuntarily and could ​not leave unless parents removed them from ​the program
  • Started by former resident of Synanon
    • Arthur Robert Barker

The Elan School Opened

  • Therapeutic school for youth
    • Children were there involuntarily and could ​not leave unless parents removed them ​from the program
    • Children from out of state foster care ​systems were sent here as well
  • Started by former resident of Daytop Village
    • Joe Richie

1971

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President Richard Nixon Declares War on Drugs

  • Names drug abuse as "Public Enemy Number ​One"
  • Increased federal funding
    • Drug-control agencies
    • Drug-treatment efforts

Provo Canyon School Opened

  • Therapeutic school for youth
    • Children were there involuntarily and could ​not leave unless parents removed them from ​the program

1973

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Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is Formed

  • Formed to consolidate federal efforts to control ​drug abuse
  • Merged three existing entities together:
    • Office for Drug Abuse Law Enforcement
    • Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs
    • Office of Narcotics Intelligence

1976

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Straight, Inc. Opened

  • Drug rehab for juveniles
    • Children were there involuntarily and could ​not leave unless parents removed them from ​the program

1979

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Universal Health Services (UHS) Founded

  • Provided mental health hospital services, ​including those to youth.
  • Another umbrella company of TTI programs
  • Later purchased Provo Canyon School

1981

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President Ronald Reagan Turns War on Drugs into ​Full On Warfare Against Drug Use in America

  • Focused on criminal punishment for drug ​offenses
  • Reagan and wife, Nancy, visited and endorsed ​Straight, Inc.

1984

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Kids Centers of America Founded

  • Another umbrella company of TTI programs

Nancy Reagan started the "Just Say No" campaign

  • Privately funded effort to educate children on ​the dangers of drug use

1986

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U.S. Congress Passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act

  • Allocated $1.7 billion to the War on Drugs
  • Established a series of “mandatory minimum” ​prison sentences for various drug offenses

1987

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World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and ​Schools (WWASP) Founded

  • Another umbrella company of TTI programs
  • These programs moved away from the "tough ​love" and physically abusive tactics and towards ​more psychological and emotionally abusive ​tactics

1993

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University of Michigan Published Adolescent ​Substance Use and Addictions: Epidemiology, ​Current Trends, and Public Policy

  • Showed that drug use among adolescents is still ​a significant problem

1998

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President William Clinton Presented a New Drug ​Strategy Covering 4 Major Areas

  • Reducing hardcore drug use through treatment
  • Ensuring safe and drug-free schools by improving ​prevention efforts
  • Empowering communities to combat drug-​related violence and crime
  • Increasing international programs in source ​countries and reducing interdiction in drug-transit ​zones

Aspen Education Group Founded

  • Another umbrella company of TTI programs

1999

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National Association of Therapeutic Schools and ​Programs (NATSAP) Founded

  • Founded by the directors of various other TTI ​programs and umbrella companies including:
    • Mission Mountain School
    • Montana Academy
    • Aspen Education Group
    • Hidden Lake Academy
    • Cascade School
    • Spring Ridge Academy
    • Three Springs Academy
    • Crater Lake Academy

The War on Drugs has been tied closely to the Troubled Teen Industry. Since many of these programs and companies were founded, they have become even more intertwined and secretive about the abusive tactics they use on juveniles who have been deemed to be bad children. As the War on Drugs has become less publicised, these programs have also become a haven for parents to send their kids when they have no idea what else to do with them, or because they want the "problem" within their household removed. The vast majority of survivors of the Troubled Teen Industry have left these programs with significantly more issues than they had going into the programs.

Article by Nora Ashleigh Barrie | March 19, 2023