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| November Newsletter |
| DPA Launches Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens |
DPA has launched Safety First, the first of its kind drug education curriculum aimed at providing high school students with honest and scientifically accurate information that empowers them to reduce drug-related harms.
Unlike abstinence-only programs, Safety First is based on the philosophy of harm reduction. While the primary goal is still the same – to discourage young people from using alcohol and other drugs – Safety First takes it one step further and provides teens with essential information to keep themselves and their friends safe if and when they do encounter these substances.
The curriculum comes at an extremely vital time when the U.S. is experiencing its worst public health crisis in decades, with nearly 70,000 lives being lost to accidental overdose in 2018 alone. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death among individuals under 50 in the U.S.
“First and foremost, we want to keep our young people safe,” said Sasha Simon, Safety First Program Manager at DPA. “The old paradigm that not teaching someone about something will keep them from doing it is inherently flawed. And lives are being lost because of it. This curriculum provides students with the education and skills they need to understand drugs and their associated risks, so that they are then able to make informed, responsible – and most importantly, safer – choices.”
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DPA Set to Host the International Drug Policy Reform Conference
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DPA will be hosting the International Drug Policy Reform Conference in St. Louis from November 6-9. This biennial event attracts around 1,200 people from 80 countries, all eager to listen, learn, and strategize about local, state, national, and international drug policy issues.
There will be more than 50 panels and special events at the Reform Conference, including sessions on criminal justice reform, harm reduction, marijuana regulation, and more. DPA will also be honoring our contemporaries who have made exceptional accomplishments in eight award categories, including science, medicine, law, and education.
Online registration closes on November 6. Register here. |
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DPA Responds to Northeast Governors' Summit on Marijuana Legalization
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The governors of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New Jersey convened in October to discuss a collaborative approach to marijuana legalization for adult use. The governors cited the lack of action at the federal level as driving the need for leadership at the state and regional level.
Melissa Moore, New York Deputy State Director for DPA, said:
“Prohibition does not work, period. It has destroyed lives through inequitable enforcement of dated laws that disproportionately harm communities of color and has also failed to reduce use, instead doubling down on the illicit market and leading to unregulated cannabis use.”
“Today’s summit – driven by Governor Cuomo, Senate Leader Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Heastie, Senator Krueger, and Majority Leader People-Stokes – is happening not a moment too soon. We are hopeful the outcome will help to catalyze responsible legalization in New York, allowing our state to serve as a model for comprehensive marijuana reform across the greater region. The time to act is now and New York has the opportunity to show the country what equitable and just legalization looks like.”
Learn more. |
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DPA Influences Marijuana Legalization Recommendations from New Mexico Governor's Working Group
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The Governor’s working group released a set of recommendations on marijuana legalization in October. Emily Kaltenbach, New Mexico State Director and Senior Director of Municipal Drug Strategies for DPA, who served on the working group, said:
“Having worked towards cannabis legalization in New Mexico for the better part of the last decade, we are grateful the Governor’s office involved us in this process by inviting us to be a part of the working group. We are excited by the opportunity to help shape New Mexico’s policies as it looks to become the 12th state in the country to legalize and regulate cannabis.”
“Many of the working group’s recommendations reflect DPA’s priorities, including creating equity in the marketplace, reinvesting back into communities most harmed by prohibition, protecting the medical cannabis program, safeguarding children, and establishing strong consumer protections.”
Read the recommendations and learn more. |
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