EMU Today

YPSILANTI – More people died from opioid-related drug overdoses than car crashes in 2017, according to governmental figures, and many organizations are scrambling to tackle this public health emergency.

An upcoming event at Eastern Michigan University entitled “Opioids: Combatting Addiction with Chemistry” will feature a webinar presented by the American Chemical Society, as part of its webinar series that explains why opioid addiction became a national crisis and how chemistry can help fight addiction.

This event is LBC3 approved and takes place on Feb. 27 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Halle Auditorium G03. Refreshments will be served.

The webinar will include a panel of medical experts, policymakers and chemists who will address the following topics:

• How did we get here?
• Neurobiological pathways in addiction.
• How opioid addiction is different from other types of addiction.
• Current therapeutic approaches and new treatments.

“The opioid epidemic affects everyone, even if you don’t have a substance abuse problem,” said Sai Priya Marrapu, a graduate assistant for the Creative Scientific Inquiry Experience (CSIE) program at EMU, which is helping to host the program. “It impacts your wallet, your quality of health care, your community, among many other things.”

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.