Immoral Inventory For young people in supportive family and social environments, childhood and adolescence are ordinarily times of exploration, experimentation, growth and a healthy search for identity. But for those from "marginalized" environments, where emotional, physical and educational support is lacking, those times are all too often characterized by vulnerability, abuse and destructive risk-taking. Within this already marginalized group are the exceptionally vulnerable: street children, refugee and displaced children, indigenous or minority youth, and children of conflict. Too many of these survive under the most oppressive of circumstances: abject poverty, homelessness, family disintegration, hard labour, forced relocation, violence, or worse. The common denominator for all of these children is that they are young and powerless against adult predators. Any one or any combination of these factors can lure them to abuse illicit drugs and other psychoactive substances. In fact, in stressful environments, the use of drugs by young people often serves a treacherous purpose: to dull abiding physical and emotional pain; to keep awake during long days at work; to relieve gnawing hunger; to allow for sleep on cold ground. Yet, the false comfort of drugs also increases the exposure of these children to major health risks and introduces other equally devastating consequences, including exploitation or sexual and physical abuse.

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