May 4 Omaha Science Cafe focused on secondhand exposure to meth

Secondhand exposure to methamphetamine and its effects is the topic of the next Science Cafe on Tuesday at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. in Omaha.

Sandra Wells, Ph.D.

Starting at 7 p.m., Sandra Wells, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of environmental, agricultural and occupational health in the College of Public Health, will present “After the Smoke Clears: Facts and Fiction about Secondhand Meth Exposure.”

Dr. Wells will review the history of methamphetamine use and discuss why secondhand exposure to this drug is an increasing health problem in the United States.

“According to a report from 2006, it is estimated that nearly six percent of the U.S. population ages 12 and older used methamphetamine at least once,” Dr. Wells said. “Both manufacturing and smoking methamphetamine creates the risks of secondhand smoke and residual drug exposures.”

More about Science Cafes For more information on coming and past Science Cafes in Omaha and Lincoln, visit www.unmc.edu/sciencecafe.

Although there are numerous reports on the overall dangers of methamphetamine use and production, the actual health consequences of secondhand exposure are largely unreported, she said.

Science Cafe is a free educational event sponsored by UNMC and other groups to increase the population’s science literacy. Hosted by UNMC, BioNebraska and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Science Cafes are held the first Tuesday of each month.

Free pizza, provided by the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, will be available for the first 50 people in attendance.