A little bit of info on addiction...

Most people I meet are affected by addiction in some way. In particular opiate addiction and opiate related deaths have increased significantly, but there is hope in recovery and there are effective treatments.  This starts with compassion, understanding and support. I heard the story below on "All Things Considered" and found it inspiring:

If you are trying to understand addiciton for yourself or trying to support someone else, I recommend this book:
Unbroken Brain:: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction by; Maia Szalavitz
​Maia Szalavitz presents a "new" understanding of addiction as a learning disorder and provides suggestions regarding treatment. 

https://www.thefix.com is also a great resource for young people looking for treatment and community, as well as articles on the latest addiction research/treatment. 

I believe that treatment for addiction is most successful when it is person centered, compassionate, and multi-systemic. There is no "formula' for treatment, it should be tailored to the unique experience of the individual. Treatment can include any combination of inpatient or outpatient rehab, group therapy, individual and family therapy ,medication management,  community based support (such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon meetings, or SMART Recovery meetings), recreational therapy)