Previous studies have documented significant drug and alcohol abuse among a minority of adolescents in southeast Queensland. Important indicators of harm, including risk for HIV and Hepatitis C, suicide risk, homelessness, and involvement in street crime, exist for this group. One of the authors of this article reviewed youth interagency minutes that dated from 1992 to the present; he found consistent and urgent requests throughout this period for a youth detoxification center. The current detoxification center for the inner-city of Brisbane is the Hospital Alcohol and Drug Service at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. A survey of this unit found that although 95 youths were admitted to the service for a variety of problems over a 6-month period, the average length of stay was 4 days, irrespective of the substance involved. This is not an effective length of time to detoxify from addictive drugs and be initiated into ongoing treatment. This suggests that staff in traditional services find dealing with youth difficult. The authors conclude that there is a need for a unit that would provide a structured, brief program for drug-affected youth and include within it a specialized detoxification program. Such a program should have accessibility and flexibility within an age-appropriate environment; it should provide both medical and psychological assessment. 3 tables and 11 references