NATCHEZ &8212; No one sugarcoated the future for the five newest graduates of the Adams County Youth Drug Court program at their graduation ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

&8220;Once you are an addict, you are always an addict,&8221; keynote speaker U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett told the teens.

&8220;Recovery is a journey and not a destination. You will never get there.&8221;

Starrett, of the state&8217;s southern district, praised the graduates for their work to this point but told them it must continue.

&8220;It&8217;s a difficult thing,&8221; he said. &8220;Don&8217;t let anybody underestimate what you have done.&8221;

Tuesday&8217;s graduation was the fourth since the drug court&8217;s inception. The Adams County court was the first in the state, and Starrett praised it as pioneering.

Participants work through three 90-day phases before graduation. They attend weekly support groups and take frequent drug tests. They must maintain a C average in school.

&8220;Drug courts have proven across the nation to be not only deterrents, but opportunities for people to correct lives and move forward,&8221; Youth Court Judge John Hudson said. &8220;Being the first juvenile drug court, we&8217;ve had the opportunity to blaze the trail, and we&8217;ve made mistakes and changed along the way.&8221;

Not everyone who starts drug court graduates from it, and some take longer than others.

Tuesday&8217;s graduates received gifts from the court and from local business sponsors.

&8220;They&8217;ve turned obstacles in their lives into stepping stones,&8221; court Director Marc Taylor said.