A report released by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that binge drinking and drinking-related deaths among college-age students are increasing.

Kitty Harris-Wilkes, director of Texas Tech University’s Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery, can speak about drug and alcohol abuse among college students and prevention methods that could help curb these trends.

The Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery is the country’s largest and one of the oldest campus recovery communities. It uses a peer-support system to help students recovering from drug and alcohol addictions and even issues such as gambling and eating disorders navigate the treacherous landscape of a college campus.

Dynamic and extremely personable, Harris-Wilkes has first-hand experience working with hundreds of college students who have managed to overcome drug and alcohol addictions. During the past 20 years, more than 500 students have graduated through the center with a collective GPA of more than 3.3 and only 7 percent of active participants suffered relapses.

The program has been so successful that Harris-Wilkes has overseen or advised the development of similar programs at schools such as the University of Texas, Ole Miss and Georgia Southern University. She also has created a curriculum model that is being distributed nationally.

Center researchers have amassed a body of research on the processes and factors involved in young adult addiction and recovery.

Source: Texas Tech University