Transform in the British Medical Journal: 'An Alternative to the War on Drugs'

The British Medical Journal this week publishes a special edition on drug titled: 'Drug users and HIV: treat don't punish'. the cover feature includes a special commentary section on drugs, HIV/AIDS and harm reduction to coincide with the huge AIDS 2010 conference in Vienna that kicks off this Sunday (see this blog for details and Transform's involvement in the Global Village's Drug Policy Networking Zone).

Transform at AIDS 2010 in Vienna: photo blog - day 1

Transform and IDPC are co-hosting the Drug Policy Networking zone in the Global Village space at the huge AIDS 2010 conference in Vienna (see this previous blog for more details). With over 20,000 delegates it is the biggest health conference in the world. Below are a few images from the first two days. More detailed reports from the conference will follow during the week...

Transform invited to address New York Bar Association in November

 
 The New York City Bar Association's Committee on Drugs and the Law presents
CONFRONTING AN OXYMORON: TAKING CONTROL OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
November 16, 2010, 5:30 p.m 42 West 44th Street, New York NY
The Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 defines U.S. drug control. For forty years it has affected crime, public health, and the justice system, with little success: the societal harm relating to drugs continues to escalate.

On this fortieth anniversary of the Controlled Substances Act, the Committee on Drugs and the Law will present an international group of experts to address key questions:
What can health and law enforcement officials do differently to control the supply of and demand for psychoactive substances?

What economic, regulatory, and social tools to control the drug markets are we not using?

Which currently regulated markets for potentially harmful substances or products might be adapted to control the sale and use of illicit drugs?

Which controls best protect young people?

Speakers

Roger Goodman, J.D., Vice Chair, House Judiciary Committee, Washington State Legislature, Kirkland, WA.
Topic: Current legislative struggles to reform drug regulation at the state level: legal, practical and ideological obstacles.Mark Haden, M.S.W., Addiction Clinical Supervisor, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Topic: Options for regulation of drugs based on public health and human rights.Nathan Riley, Legislative Assistant, N.Y. State Senator Joseph Galiber (1990-1993), New York, NY.
Topic: An early attempt to create a regulated market for drugs in New York State and public health crises as the primary impetus for drug law reform to date.Stephen Rolles, Senior Policy Analyst, Transform Drug Policy Foundation, author of “After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation,” Bristol, England.
Topic: Existing models around the world for regulating products such as caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, as well as prohibited psychoactive substances.Marc Sorini, Esq., Head of the Alcohol Regulatory and Distribution Group, McDermott Will & Emery, Washington, D.C.
Topic: The legal mechanism of alcohol regulation. (This presentation will focus exclusively on alcohol control and will take no position regarding drug law.)Eric E. Sterling, President, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, Assistant Counsel, U.S. House Judiciary Committee (1979-1989), Silver Spring, MD.
Topic: History of federal drug laws from 1914, focusing on the Controlled Substances Act and Reagan-era criminal statutes.

Transform launches updated and re-designed 'Comparative Cost-Effectiveness of Drug Prohibition/Regulation' report

On the eve of the Comprehensive Spending Review it seems like an opportune moment to relaunch Transform's 2009 report: 'A Comparison of the Cost-Effectiveness of Prohibition and regulation of Drugs', now updated and beautifully redesigned (available online pdf). The publication created a decent media splash, led to a PQ and ultimately a meeting with the Prime Minister (see below for summary and details). 

Transform Launches New Impact Assessment Web Page

We have recently added a new page to the Transform website promoting our call for an Impact Assessment (IA) of drug policy.

An IA would make an independent, non-partisan evaluation of the merits and flaws of existing domestic and international drug policy, and compare them with the costs and benefits of alternatives - including further resourcing for a criminal justice led approach, decriminalising personal possession, or legally regulating production and supply. The outcomes of this evaluation would then point the way to the most effective policies to manage drug production, supply and use.

In 2007 a UK government review concluded that such an evaluation could not be made – a conclusion that the UK Home Affairs Select Committee strongly condemned (in its report March 2010 report on the cocaine trade). The Committee diplomatically declared it “careless” that the Government published its Drugs Strategy in 2008 without having assessed the effectiveness of existing drug policy. Consequently, the Committee said that it
“support