Educator addresses son's addiction with plan for high school to help others

In 2015, the last year for which data is available, 772 teens died from drug overdose. 

Many parents find there are few, if any, effective or even affordable services for those under age 18 trying to get clean, despite research from the Center on Addiction that shows that for 9 out of 10 people, addiction problems begin in adolescence.

Leah and Jimmy Wright lived that nightmare with their son, now 20 years old and in early stages of recovery. They say marijuana use led to pills and then pills to harder drugs.

"He kept getting deeper and deeper and into another world," Jimmy Wright said.

Their son was expelled from high school, leaving him more vulnerable than ever to the depths of addiction.

"As parents, we were desperate to try to find help for him, and that's where we discovered that help for adolescents, really, there's not much in this area," said Leah Wright.

The Wrights saw the documentary "Generation Found," a story of success at Archway Academy, a school designed for recovery in Houston, Texas, and decided to do something in their community.

"It was really laid on my heart to start this recovery high school," Leah Wright said.

Leah Wright, with 30 years as a Wake County educator, believes dedicated teachers, addiction professionals and strong peer support are the keys to success.

There are currently 40 "recovery high schools" across the country for students with a substance use disorder. So far, there are none in North Carolina. 

The Wrights believe they are needed in every county.