Since 2009, synthetic drugs like K2 and Spice have spread throughout the U.S. The American Association of Poison Control Centers receives thousands of calls a year related to human exposure of synthetic marijuana and bath salts. The majority of people affected by this epidemic are age 25 and younger.
To raise awareness of the dangers of synthetic drugs, as well as the lethal combination of alcohol and energy drinks, NDSU’s Distance and Continuing Education and Prairie St. John’s are hosting the presentation, “Alcopos, AMEDS and SLIDs: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You.” The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in NDSU’s Beckwith Hall. It is free and open to the public.
Frank White, associate professor of sociology at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, will discuss the various street names, signs and symptoms of usage, risk factors and side effects, legal concerns and current marketing strategies directed at adolescents and young adults.
White has taught sociology for 24 years. His scholarly interests include drug use and abuse among adolescents and young adults with special emphasis on binge drinking, date rape, anabolic steroids and synthetic drugs.
For more information or to register, visit the NDSU Distance and Continuing Education website at ndsu.me/dcem1231. Continuing Education Units are available for $10.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.