In conjunction with Cameron University‘s current academic festival, “Care and Health: A Generational Approach,” the Bill W. Burgess Jr. Business Research Center (BBRC) will present “The Impact of Drug Abuse on the Mental Health of Adolescents.” The forum will take place on Thursday, March 14, at 4 p.m. in the Mary Lou and W. Carey Johnson Auditorium, Room 111, in Ross Hall. The forum is open to the public.
Andrea Tracy, assistant principal at Eisenhower High School, will serve as the keynote speaker. In her administrative role, Tracy interacts with students daily regarding their mental health, academics and behavior. She will share several examples of how drug usage and mental health issues have impacted her students.
According to Tracy, “Drug use among high school students has become more visible over the last several years, as the availability and portability of gummies, dap pens, and other devices have made it easier for teens to carry drugs undetected. During this time there has also been an increase in mental health issues with teens. This forum will explore possible links between this increase in drug usage and the increase in mental health issues.”
Following Tracy’s presentation, she will be joined by Carmela Rendina, licensed clinical social worker, Project Aware; Chad Kirchen, principal of Lawton High School; and Jason Hall, program manager, Harm Reduction Services, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, for a panel discussion.
For more information, contact Dr. Syed Ahmed, director of Cameron’s Bill W. Burgess Jr. Business Research Center, at (580) 581-2842.
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PR# 24-037
