Psychedelic Mindview College Seminar

During the summer of 2000 Northern Illinois University will offer entirely online EPSY 492/592 Seminar in Educational Psychology: Psychedelic Mindview. Psychedelic research may be the field with the greatest gap between the information scholars and scientists have discovered and what the general public knows. This course helps bridge that gap by surveying psychedelics' history from archaeological times to the present and by examining their implications for psychotherapy and mental health and various academic disciplines and professional interests. Students will select a topic for individual study such as archeology, anthropology, history, psychology, sociology, botany, chemistry, religion, philosophy, one of the arts, literature and language, or implications for professional practices such as health, law, education, and similar fields. Instructor: Thomas B. Roberts, Professor. Registration begins March 2000. See www.maps.org/news for a link to this course's website.

NIDA's Club Drug Initiative

On December 2, 1999 the National Institute on Drug Abuse and community-based partners announced a national research and education initiative about club drugs, lumping together MDMA, methamphetamines, GHB, ketamine and rohypnol. NIDA launched a website, www.clubdrugs.org, in conjunction with its public education campaign about club drugs. MAPS has serious concerns about the accuracy of information on this site, but feel it is important to notify readers of its existence.

No deaths from Ecstasy reported in 1997

According to medical examiner reports compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there were zero deaths from Ecstasy in 1997, the most recent year for which data is available. The SAMSHA database is the US government's primary database for emergency room visits and deaths associated with both legal and illegal drugs. The data from 1998 should be out in the Spring.