Peaceful solutions to the War on Drugs: Collective voices from the frontline
Panel discussion followed by open debate. Three grassroots organisations representing the frontline of the drug war; people who have used drugs , families, criminal justice professionals and the two leading drug policy reform organisations have created a coalition. We invite you to an evening of discussion and debate with the aim of growing this movement for peace. The Scottish Recovery consortium will be chairing this event.
Recovering Justice: Founded by people in recovery from substance use who believe that the criminalisation and stigmatisation of people who use drugs is inhumane, ineffective counterproductive and costly. Backed by international evidence and informed by personal experience we take the position that the current drug policies at a national and international level are one of the greatest barriers to getting into and maintaining long term recovery.
Anyone’s Child: Families for Safer Drug Control : an international network of families whose lives have been wrecked by current drug laws and are now campaigning to change them. We believe that our drug laws need to properly protect our children. That’s why we urgently need a new approach to keep all of our families safe. We are calling for the government to be honest and base UK drug policy on reality, not fear – and that means regulating drugs to reduce the risks they pose Our vision is that control of all drugs would instead be the responsibility of medical professionals, such as doctors and pharmacists.
Transform: A charitable think tank campaigning for an end to the drug war. They actively campaign for drug law reform, including the legal regulation of drug production supply and use. “Transform has been at the cutting edge of drug policy analysis for almost 20 years and is recognised as one of the motivating forces for global reform” Ruth Dreifuss former President of Switzerland. Prohibition cannot be judged a success on any front. Handing control of the drug trade to organised criminals has had disastrous consequences across the globe. Transform therefore works to get drugs under control by advocating for strict regulation of all aspects of the trade.
The Scottish Recovery Consortium (SRC): A recovery-orientated charity. We exist to build and promote recovery from addictions in Scotland using means and messages that are consistent with the values and practices of recovery from addictions. The SRC is an agent of change. We alter the beliefs, practices and policies in our country and the cultures that support the proliferation of addictions in our citizens.
Release: The national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law. The organisation campaigns for evidenced-based drug policies that are founded on principles of public health rather than a criminal justice approach. Release believes in a just and fair society where drug policies should reduce the harms associated with drugs, and where those who use drugs are treated based on principles of human rights, dignity and equality.
Leap UK: An organization made up of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who are speaking out about the failures of our existing drug policies. LEAP advocate reform and evidence based policy with a public health focus including decriminalisation and nuanced regulatory models for all drugs.
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