The story begins in California in 1982, when several young addicts who had taken factory-made facsimile heroin were suddenly unable to move or talk.

Chaney apparently counseled the young addict that he needed a job working with children, where he could be the teacher.

The youngest addict was reported to be 11 years of age.

She had prevailed on her friends to raise millions for a narcotics treatment facility, desperately needed by young addicts, in California.

She agreed to be interviewed because she thought her story would help younger addicts quit.

In contrast to younger addicts, older substance abusers thrive on treatment that features personal accounts, counselors say.

The first real clues to understanding the disease were found in 1983 when a number of young addicts using contaminated heroin developed severe Parkinson's-like symptoms.

The Governor said in his message that New Jersey currently sends many of its troubled young addicts to other states for treatment.

The inquiry focussed on the deaths of four young addicts picked as a cross section of the scores who've died in recent years.