"Young People in Recovery: Creating Support Systems to Help Youth Sustain Their Recovery"

Show Guest: Justin Luke Riley

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, use of illicit drugs during 2015 was reported by 23.6 percent of 12th graders. Breaking down the numbers, alcohol use topped the charts at 58.2% with marijuana/Hashish use at 34.9%. These alarming numbers make it no surprise that between 5% and 8% of the youth population in the U.S. develop a substance use disorder.

Inspired by the success of the collegiate recovery community at Rutgers University, Justin Luke Riley (YPR's President & CEO) and a team of dedicated individuals created Young People in Recovery (YPR) in 2010. Establishing its nonprofit status in 2015, YPR has almost doubled in size to 89 chapters in 30 states in the last 5 years. Chapters support young people in or seeking recovery by providing improve access to treatment and enabling them to obtain stable employment, secure suitable housing, and explore continuing education. Chapters also advocate on the local and state levels for better accessibility of these services and other effective recovery resources.