Colleges reach out to recovering addicts

By Bonnie Miller Rubin

"Mark Spicer started smoking marijuana eight years ago when he was a sophomore at New Trier High School. By senior year, the dabbling had turned into a daily habit; at his small, liberal arts college, he added painkillers to the list. Despite multiple attempts at rehab, it took just a few weeks before he'd return to his hard-partying ways."

"'About the only thing to do is go to frat parties, otherwise you don't have much of a social life … and alcohol and drugs are everywhere,' said Spicer, 23, of Glencoe."

"Now, the philosophy/environmental studies major is back in school, maintaining a 3.8 grade-point average and his sobriety. He's at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, a choice made not only for the academics but for its vibrant recovery community of 83 peers, all fighting the same battle. ..."

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-x-sober-college-20111026,0,1...