A nominal group technique which involves a panel of experts is used to define future trends and events. Five trends emerge: juvenile substance abusers as percentage of total juvenile population, level of juvenile treatment programs, level of juvenile drivers license suspensions for substance abuse, level of overcrowding in juvenile detention and correctional facilities, and level of public outcry against juvenile substance abuse. A number of critical events also were identified: passage of legislation that mandates treatment of juveniles arrested for substance abuse, passage of legislation that mandates zero (alcohol) tolerance for juveniles, invention of a drug detention device, passage of legislation that mandates ignition interlock device, and the discovery of a new drug to control substance dependency. A modified policy delphi was employed to identify potential strategy alternatives. The most desired future shows a blending of the traditional separation of functions between arresting agencies and correctional agencies into a results- oriented system which will include treatment. 77 footnotes and 38 references, and 15 appendixes