"Rehab With Dr. Drew" Returns To VH1 To Directly Help Young Adults With Their Addiction Issues

LOS ANGELES, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1 and Dr. Drew has started production today on a sixth installment of "Rehab with Dr. Drew" to directly address alcohol and drug addiction among young adults, the largest group afflicted by addiction issues in the U.S. 

According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that an estimated 23.1 million American who were 12 or older needed treatment for drug and alcohol abuse that year, while only 2.6 million received treatment in a specialty facility.  Another source, the 2009 Treatment Episode Data Set, which gathers information on persons admitted to publicly funded treatment programs, shows that the age group with the highest proportion of admissions was 25 to 29 years at 15.2 percent followed closely by the 20 to 24 years age group at 14.9 percent.

And in the sixth installment of the Celebrity Rehab franchise Dr. Drew once again takes viewers behind the closed doors of the rehabilitation process.  From heartbreak to hope we follow Dr. Drew and his patients on their difficult and deeply emotional journey to sobriety.  An often raw and unflinching look at the many faces of addiction, Dr. Drew shows us that rehab is not a glamorous spa vacation for celebrities as often portrayed in the media but a profound life changing process that offers hope for a better life.  "Rehab with Dr. Drew," will premiere in September 2012 with eight one-hour episodes.

"Addiction is a disease that doesn't limit itself to celebrities but reaches across all economic, social and racial boundaries with lasting and profound effects of not only of the patients but also their families, friends and co-workers.  Rehabilitation and sobriety on the other hand are an arduous lifelong journey," said Dr. Drew.

"Many of our young adult viewers have shared with us that Dr. Drew and our multiple seasons of 'Celebrity Rehab' has made them more aware about substance abuse.  And a large number of them have asked for his assistance with their own challenges," said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Production, VH1.  "This season, the moment felt right to turn our focus from celebrities, to young adults who could benefit under Dr. Drew and his team's expert professional treatment.  In some ways, we felt that stripping away the celebrity layer could reach even more viewers and touch them in a different way."

Dr. Drew is the host of the nationally syndicated late night radio show Loveline as well as a respected practicing MD, board certified in internal and addiction medicine, who is staff at Huntington Hospital and assistant clinical professor of KECK USC School of Medicine.  He is the author of the New York Times best seller The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America (Harper Collins) and Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again (Harper-Collins.) Dr. Drew co-authored the first academic study on celebrities and narcissism that was published in the Journal of Research in Personality (Elsevier) in September 2006, and is the first systematic, empirical scholarly study of celebrity personality.  Dr. Drew hosted VH1's "Sober House" and "Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew" and can be seen on MTV's "Teen Mom" and "16 & Pregnant."  Additionally, Dr. Drew is hosting a new prime time show on HLN called "Dr. Drew."

Returning for their sixth seasons to assist Dr. Drew are counselor Bob Forrest and resident technician Shelly Sprague.  Also returning this season is Dr. John R. Sharp, M.D.  Dr. Sharp is a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School, and the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.  His expertise is in the integrated treatment of depression and bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder, and addiction.  Dr. Sharp has been recognized as Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and of The Academy of Psychosomatic.  He maintains an active private practice in Boston and Los Angeles.  Jennifer Gimenez will also be back as a resident technician.  Jennifer was previously seen on season 5 of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" and "Sober House" as the house manager.

For additional information about "Rehab with Dr. Drew" visit the official VH1 Rehab with Dr. Drew site at CelebRehab.VH1.com and on VH1 Mobile each week following the show's on-air premiere.  Viewers can also find 'Rehab' updates on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/vh1 and on Twitter @VH1 with the hashtag #Rehab.

"Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" is produced by Irwin Entertainment.  Executive producing for Irwin Entertainment are John Irwin, Damian Sullivan, Joel Rodgers and Rob Buchta.  Dr. Drew Pinsky and Howard Lapides also serve as executive producers.  Jill Holmes, Tom Huffman and Jeff Olde are executive producers for VH1.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

SOURCE VH1