TRANSFORM NEWS
September 2006
Jack Cole (New Jersey
Police Lieutenant, ret.),
Director of Law
Enforcement Against Prohibition,
"This
is Not a War on Drugs—it’s a War on People.”
Source: baltimoresun.com, Random Rodicks, 24.09.06
--------------------
Some big news this month – not least that
Transform has new office manager, Nat Griffin, who will be taking over the
reigns on the newsletter from here on. In the world of drug policy there has
been a rather astonishing report from the Government’s Advisory Council on the
misuse of Drugs that, after saying that drug enforcement has had no impact on
patterns of drug use goes on to quietly and methodically trash large swathes of
existing policy on alcohol and tobacco, drug testing in schools, drug education
and prevention and more besides, making a series of eminently sensible
recommendations on how to put matters right. So a hearty ‘BRAVO’ to ACMD,
coming after a tricky few months for them – this really blows the debate wide
open at the highest levels of Government.
Note: As of October the Transform newsletter
will be arriving in your inbox in a new snazzy html format. The same material
but in a prettier box – because we know you’re suckers for that sort of thing.
(There will be a default text version for anyone who has technical problems
with html emails).
Please remember that you can do a lot more
than just read this newsletter - discuss the issues on the Transform forum and
blog, help publicise Transform and the website, make a donation, read the ‘what
you can do’ bit *see bottom of the news letter*, join our team of volunteers
and get active!
--------------------
- Please keep your comments,
ideas, stories and contacts coming in. e-mail: info@tdpf.org.uk,
- Forward this onto your
friends; subscribers can join by visiting: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Contact.htm
- All previous newsletters
are viewable on our website should you have missed them or only just signed up:
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Newsletter.htm
- Make a donation – as ever
we need financial support to maintain the organisation…set up a regular
donation online here: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/index_online_giving_links.htm
Thanks for reading!
Nathalie Griffin
Transform Drug Policy
Foundation
Contents
----1. UK NEWS-----
*ACMD releases report on hazardous use of drugs by young people
*Office for National
Statistics (ONS) Quarterly Health Bulletin Autumn 2006
*Senior Liberal Democrats
call for legalisation of all drugs
* Francis Crick
*Increasing cost of prevalence of cocaine in UK
drug culture
*UK Links
---- 2. INTERNATIONAL NEWS ----
* Government of Canada Announces Supervised Injection Site Extension (Vancouver)
*Albanian Hemp Farmers Under
Threat (Europe)
*George W Bush declares September Recovery Month! (USA)
*Illegal
drug trade threatens conservation efforts (USA & Mexico)
*International Links and
Books
----3. WHAT TRANSFORM HAS BEEN UP TO-----
---- 4. WHAT YOU CAN DO ----
----1. UK NEWS-----
**ACMD releases report on hazardous use of drugs by young people
After the critical panning that the Government’s Advisory Council on the
Misuse of Drugs received at the hands of the
Science and Technology Select Committee in August, this new report,
‘Pathways to Problems’ offers some redemption in the form of a rather brilliant
and often surprising analysis of many of the shortcomings of UK policy on drugs
– with a particularly welcome call for a more consistent approach to alcohol,
tobacco and illegal drugs. Many of the observations and recommendations are
clearly not what the Government are going to want to hear – frequently echoing
what Transform has been saying for many years. The difference being that this
time they come from a body of experts appointed by ministers to advise
ministers. Definitely worth a look.
Transform blog comment on the report:
http://transform-drugs.blogspot.com/2006/09/acmd-new-report-calls-for-review-of.html
The report in full:
http://www.drugs.gov.uk/publication-search/acmd/ACMDPresNotice.pdf
--------------------
**Office for National
Statistics (ONS) Quarterly Health Bulletin Autumn 2006
This includes detailed
information about deaths from drug misuse. Miserable reading guaranteed.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/Product.asp?vlnk=6725
Transform blog comment on The
Daily Mail’s totally daft coverage linking cannabis reclassification and rise
in drug deaths:
http://transform-drugs.blogspot.com/2006/08/daily-mail-bad-science-drugs-deaths.html
--------------------
**Senior Liberal Democrats
call for legalisation of all drugs
Not the first time by any
stretch – but they are at it again at their party conference, pioneering the
mainstreaming of the drug law reform debate in the political arena.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5357172.stm
-------------------
**Francis Crick: Genius, DNA pioneer and Nobel
prize winner, and - as this article points out – long time supporter of the
legalisation of drugs. Various LSD evangelists have subsequently claimed that
Crick first visualised the double helix under the influence (Transform note:
this is almost certainly rubbish, even if it does make a good yarn).
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/biography/0,,1874072,00.html
-------------------
**Increasing cost of prevalence of cocaine in UK drug culture
Report on the increased use of cocaine in the UK,
which also highlights the concerns raised by the knock-on effects for policing, prisons
and re-offending rates.
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=105&ArticleID=1767833
-------------------
--- UK LINKS
BBC Action Network
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/C1520
Interesting discussion about
prohibition in the Drug Crime notice board. Also contains links to other
criminal justice issues, as well as other drugs related issues, including
classification and use. Get in there and post!
---TRANSFORM BLOG!
Linked from our homepage www.tdpf.org.uk we have a new and regularly
updated media blog – bringing the latest media coverage of drug policy issues
along with comment and discussion – please check it out and get posting in the
comment sections under each blog entry. If you have interesting stories for the
blog – send them to info@tdpf.org.uk
----
2. INTERNATIONAL NEWS ----
**Government
of Canada Announces Supervised Injection Site Extension (Vancouver)
Great
news! “On Friday, September 1, 2006, Federal Health Minister Tony Clement
announced that the government had "deferred the decision" on
Vancouver Coastal Health's application to extend the operating exemption for
the SIS until December 31, 2007.” The only downside is that “Health Canada will
not entertain any applications for the establishment of additional injection
sites in other parts of Canada until the NDS is in place, and the Vancouver
review is completed.”
------
**Albanian Hemp Farmers Under
Threat (Europe)
It’s been a while since we had
a decent Albanian drug story – in fact I think this is a first. An interesting
story about how drug war paranoia has prevented the development of a useful
industrial crop, hemp, that is absolutely no fun at all to smoke.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d82f30e8-3c7a-11db-9c97-0000779e2340.html
There’s and interesting article on Hemp in the UK from the Guardian here:
http://environment.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,1881460,00.html
----
**George W Bush declares
September Recovery Month! (USA)
If you missed it, tough.
http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2006
-------**Illegal drug trade threatens conservation efforts (USA & Mexico) Unsurprisingly perhaps, since its totally unregulated, much illegal drug production has a pretty catastrophic impact on the environment. Read more here:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19125674.400&feedId=online-news_rss20
--------------------
-- INTERNATIONAL LINKS & BOOKS
* Z Net
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=40&ItemID=11064
Article exploring link between counternarcotics (sic) and counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
*Tasmania Law Reform Institute Intoxication and Criminal Responsibility report (Australia)
http://www.law.utas.edu.au/reform
The Report examines questions
of when and how an accused state of intoxication is relevant to criminality,
making several recommendations, including that is it “not desirable to enact a
specific offence of criminal intoxication.”
----3. WHAT TRANSFORM HAS
BEEN UP TO-----
Transform has been beavering
away producing the next raft of briefings, publications and web resources due
this month:
*PIPERAZINES BRIEFING –
Transform have produced a summary on the current knowledge about, and policies
towards, this emerging recreational drug, an amphetamine like stimulant that
currently inhabits an ambiguous legal grey area. The briefing examines the
experience in New Zealand where a new drug classification – Class D, has been
introduced, for drugs that can be sold under license. It will be up on the
website by mid-October in the briefings section (http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Policy_Briefings.htm)
*FAQ – Steve and Ben have finished
writing an FAQ (frequently asked questions) on drug policy reform, which should
be available on the website by mid-October.
*FACT RESEARCH GUIDE –
Transform have produced a guide to where to find the most up to date
information, research and analysis from official and independent sources on key
topics in drug policy. This will be constantly updated and expanded.
*TOOLS FOR DEBATE – The companion document to the Options
for Control report: designed to be a help people in debating situations, it
is currently being finalised and proofed and should also be available online by
end October as a beautifully formatted pdf document.
--------------------
**PUBLICITY and
MEDIA
-Drink and Drug News
(25/09/06) column, written by Darren Garratt, about Drugs and Health Alliance
2008
--------------------
**Who supports drug law
reform?
Transform has launched an
archive of quotes – supportive of drug law reform - collected over a number of
years, from politicians, opinion formers, criminal justice, celebrities, the
non-governmental sector & religious leaders. Each month we add new quotes.
Read the impressive list(s)
here:
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/MediaNews_Reform_supporters.htm
Any suggested additions? Send
them, with references please, to steve@tdpf.org.uk
--------------------
**PUBLICATIONS:
For details of our most
recent publications visit: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/AboutUs_Publications.htm
--------------------
**FUNDING
As ever our funding needs
remain pressing…. ideas, contacts and suggestions are always welcome, and
PLEASE - if you haven’t already - sign up online to make a regular donation,
however small, to the organisation. It can really make a difference. http://www.tdpf.org.uk/support_Transform.htm
Our secure online donation
page administered by the Charities Aid Foundation: Donations can be one off or regular, large or small. Please give generously - we need your support. (Transform relies solely on donations from
individuals and charitable trusts to maintain its work)
We can also accept ‘Give as
you earn’ payroll donations: visit your payroll office to pick up a donor
instruction form and visit the CAF website.
Our registration number is: 000476760.
--------------------
---- 4.WHAT YOU CAN DO ----
JOIN TRANSFORM AS A
TRUSTEE! (more info on our website: www.tdpf.org.uk)
-------------
Parliament is in recess until the 9th
October, we have omitted the parliament section – HOWEVER here is a great site for contacting your local councilors,
MP, MEP etc. Check out http://www.writetothem.com
It your local policy makers and provides a
template that you can write in that is sent direct to their contact address.
**MEDIA
WRITE letters to newspapers, magazines and other
publications - local and national.
One of the easiest ways to get your views into the
public arena is to look out for drug related stories in newspapers (and other
publications) and respond in the letters pages. Keep letters concise and relate
them to a story that the paper has run. Not every letter will get printed but
if a number of letters is received on a certain issue editors are more likely
to print one of them, so it can still make a difference.
Read the letters pages and use the kind of letters
that are getting published as your guide. The earlier you respond the more
likely you are to catch the eye of the letters editors. For daily newspapers
try and get your response off before lunch to maximise your chances of making
the next days edition (Major stories may have letters over a couple of days –
and sometimes run responses to earlier letters). All newspapers now accept
letters by email making the process much quicker and easier if you have
Internet access. Email letters will always require full contact details, and
for some, including the Times, a phone number will also be required as they
will contact you before running your letter (to check facts and make sure the
letter is not running elsewhere).
For a useful directory of all UK media contacts and
links visit: http://www.mediauk.com/
CALL phone-in radio programmes
Calling radio phone-ins is an easy way to broadcast
your views to a wide audience. Local and national radio phone-ins are always
keen to liven up the debate, and are often interested in alternative views such
as drug legalisation and regulation - that can be well argued and backed up. On
drug related debates you have a good chance of getting on air if you make you
point clearly to the producers who field the phone in calls. In our experience
radio programmes are generally very receptive to Transform's ideas.
COMPLAIN
If news stories, dramas, or advertising related to
drugs are biased, misleading or factually incorrect. Visit http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Links_UkMedia.htm
for the relevant links. But also….
CONGRATULATE
Editors, journalists, writers, producers if they're
getting it right. Remember that positive feedback is at least as important as
negative.
WRITE an article for a paper or magazine.
If you have a particular area of expertise, interest
or experience consider writing a feature or comment piece for a publication. If
it is your first attempt go for a local newspaper, publication or newsletter
and see how you get on (run it by us first if you like). Try and make your
piece relevant to local concerns and introduce wider concerns using local examples.
Have a chat to the features editor about your idea to get some pointers. They
will often ask for a summary of your article idea before commissioning a piece.
You can also submit a completed piece but it will have less chance of
publication.
KEEP the media in mind
...in any actions, events or developing issues you
are involved in. Think about whether there is possible media interest. If you
are not sure you can always call up your local newspaper, TV or Radio stations
and ask. Just ask for the news desk or forward planning.
For more information contact
Transform or visit: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Parliament_WhatYouCanDo.htm
*Try some other unlikely
places…
The Daily Mail, for example,
a long time bastion of reactionary Drug War thinking has recently begun to open
up to more progressive policy ideas. Whether you like the paper or not, the
fact remains that it is highly influential in Whitehall and read by millions of
floating voters. Many news stories and opinion pieces offer an opportunity to
add comments at the end – so if you see a drug story that you think doesn’t
tell the whole story – let them know!
--------------------
**ONLINE ACTIVISM
The Internet gives you the
opportunity to engage the drug law reform debate as never before. There are
literally thousands of online forums, discussion groups, and media feedback
opportunities where you can get involved and inject a little common sense into
the debate. (see above articles for a
few ideas).
They Work For You: detailed
transcripts of parliamentary debates you can comment on.
The following link will take
you to all the recent debates involving the words ‘illegal & drugs’
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?s=illegal+drugs
A lot of newspapers, from the
Guardian to the Daily mail now allow you to post comments on news and comment
items, as well as having extensive discussion forums. Get involved – it’s easy
and makes a real difference.
For further advice please
call the Transform office on 0117 941 5810. Send in your media tips,
suggestions for web activism warnings, successes and failures - we’ll include
them here.
--------------------
Please pass this newsletter
onto your friends - subscribers can join by visiting:
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Contact.htm
For other ideas and more
details on what you can do see:
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Parliament_WhatYouCanDo.htm
For more information and
analysis: www.tdpf.org.uk
Transform Drug Policy
Foundation is a registered charity no: 1100518
The organisations, agencies,
and information linked from www.tdpf.org.uk represent a variety of
viewpoints from across the drug policy field. Transform is not responsible for
the contents of sites linked on this newsletter, and does not automatically
endorse linked information. Any suggested additions or corrections please email
info@tdpf.org.uk
If you have received this mail
in error, or if would like to unsubscribe from the list, just click
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Nathalie Griffin
Transform Drug Policy
Foundation
Easton Business Centre
Felix Road
Easton
Bristol BS5 0HE
Email: nat@tdpf.org.uk
Telephone: +44 0117 941 5810
Facsimile: +44 0117 941 5809
Website: www.tdpf.org.uk
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