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Transform 'Options for Control' seminar series gets underway

Transform Drug Policy Foundation, working in partnership with the Mannheim centre at the London School of Economics (LSE), is currently running a series of three seminars examining the future options for control of currently illegal drugs.

Invitees to the seminars include MPs and Peers, key civil servants, academics, heads of major NGOs, police and other key figures in the drugs field. The first two of the three seminars are observing the Chatham House rules to facilitate open discussion.

The first of the three seminars was held at LSE in Feburary. The one day event was attended by thirty individuals and considered the strengths and weaknesses of different regulatory models for different (currently illegal) drugs. The second one day seminar, held in May and also hosted at LSE, considered the implications for drug demand of alternative regulatory models of drug supply.

The discussions from the first two day seminars will contribute to a booklet, 'Options for Control' being produced by Transform, to be launched at the final seminar, an evening event to be held in Autumn 2004 (date t.b.c). This final seminar will be a invitation event (not under Chatham House rules) with high profile speakers and a broader audience including journalists, public figures, and funders.

This seminar series is the first in the UK to examine the practicalities of regulated drug markets. Rather than rehash debates around drug law reform, the seminar will be looking at 'how' rather than 'why' reform should take place. It will provide the first opportunity for many key stakeholders to engage in blue sky thinking on this vital social policy issue, to raise concerns, share ideas and consider how obstacles to reform can be addressed over the coming years.

The publication that will emerge from the seminar series will be widely distributed to the media, policy makers and relevant NGOs, as well as being made freely available on line. It will provide the first clear outline of how legally regulated drug markets will operate in practice (domestically and internationally), the likely impacts of such a move and a time line for acheiving the necessary reforms.

The seminars are being funded by a charitable trust with a national profile.

For more information contact Jo@tdpf.org.uk

Related information:

Options for control: Drug Supply

Transform background briefing
Seminar discussion notes

Options for Control: Managing Demand

Transform background briefing
Seminar presentations and discussion notes