This book addresses the issue of adolescent medicine and its place in society today. It discusses Australia's first hospital-based medical unit which officially opened in 1978 and is now called the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia. The future of the adolescent into adulthood is crucially dependent on the care given early on, addressing both the physical as well as mental and behavioral conditions imperative of stellar care. Although the book is directed to Australian youth, it would be applicable to all adolescent care in every part of the world. Abuse problems, such as smoking and alcohol, are also discussed and new avenues of treatment plans explored. This important book will be an aid to both professionals in the field and laymen, including the parents who remain the child's first and most important care-takers in his or her well-being.
