June 2016
Mexico: Instead of Denying Crimes Against Humanity, Commit to Drug Policy Alternatives
Written by Camila Ruiz Segovia, an intern with the Drug Policy Alliance and a member of Brown University SSDP. This piece first appeared on the Drug Policy Alliance Blog. Earlier this month, the Open Society Foundations published a ground-breaking report, “Undeniable Atrocities”, which accuses the Mexican government of committing crimes against humanity during Mexico’s Drug War. The work presents evidence compiled over
Why SSDP is endorsing AUMA
Written by Guest Blogger Morgan Tougas, University of California Berkeley This November, voters in California will consider a number of ballot initiatives. One of these initiatives, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), seeks to regulate and legalize cannabis for adults over the age of 21. Although there were a variety of other initiatives hoping to gain support to regulate cannabis, AUMA is the
Just Say Know: Shifting Perceptions on Drug Use
Written by Guest Blogger Karen Walker, Peer Education Intern As history and research can show us, prohibitive drug laws have always operated as a method of social control. Every approach by the government and its corresponding entities have been motivated by the morality of drug use; effectiveness is measured by the number of arrests and seizures rather than health and
What have we learned since the death of Len Bias?
Thirty years ago, on June 19, 1986, a University of Maryland senior, Len Bias, died from a cocaine seizure — just a few hours after he signed with NBA champions, the Boston Celtics. The sudden death of Bias, one of the greatest Maryland basketball stars, shocked the nation. Exploiting that shock, Congress enacted the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, one
En México, la Educación no es Gratuita… se paga con la Vida y la Libertad
Written by: Guest Blogger, Luis Lopez Resendiz From: El Fronterismo La educación es una arma fundamental e importante en los pueblos pobres del mundo para poder cambiar y derrocar los sistemas de opresión de un gobierno hacia un pueblo en lucha. La educación publica es un derecho que todas y todos tienen en mundo. Es un derecho que toda persona
Just Say Know: The History and Role of Drug Education
As SSDPers embark on their mission as Peer Educators, studying previous drug education practices can benefit the success of this unprecedented program. Since its fruition during the Temperance movement, drug education has been driven by political and moral agendas. Drug use was taught to be morally wrong, irreversibly harmful, and an indication of personal weakness. The goal of every program
Mexico Represses Teachers, not Drug Traffickers
Written by Guest Blogger, Lopez Christopher From: Hasta La Victoria Blog In the midst of a deadly war on drugs, the latest victims of the Mexican government’s ruthlessness are not the perpetrators of violent institutional or social crime, but rather a teacher’s union mobilizing for greater rights and greater respect for their dedication to a deteriorating national public educational system. Aurelio
June Monthly Mosaic: Families and the War on Drugs
In mainstream conversations about families and drugs, parents are tasked with protecting their children from the evils of drug abuse. However, this narrative drastically oversimplifies the many ways in which families experience drugs and drug use, glossing over the serious problems caused by drug war policies themselves. Even otherwise positive drug policy reforms frequently overlook parents and families, perpetuating the
The Relationship Between Drug Policy and Peer Education
Written by Karen Walker, Peer Education Intern In order to fully grasp the current condition of the drug war, reformers must look back to learn why and how prohibition policies were initially enacted. Understanding the history of prohibition and how the drug war has been able to gain the momentum seen today will enlighten others to the truth behind the
Hello, World!: Daniel Miles Joins SSDP as Summer Policy Intern
Hello, world! Daniel Miles is joining the SSDP staff as the Summer 2016 Policy Intern at the SSDP National HQ in Washington DC. A North Carolina native, Daniel joined the SSDP chapter at the College of Charleston in 2014 on his fourth day of college and has not looked back! As an integral chapter member, he helped organize and execute the
SSDP Welcomes California Campus Coordinator!
Meet Oliver Zerrudo, SSDP’s new California Campus Coordinator! As California Campus Coordinator, Oliver aims to expand the presence of people of color and people of color politics in contemporary Drug Policy conversations. Following his role as chapter leader at UC Berkeley SSDP (’15), Oliver is eager to contribute to the movement in a larger capacity. His goals include increasing chapter
Karen Walker Joins SSDP Team as Peer Education Intern
Meet Karen Walker, SSDP’s new Peer Education intern! Karen Walker first became involved with SSDP when Board Member Stephanie Izquieta founded a chapter at Binghamton University. After attending the Northeast Regional Conference in the spring of 2015, she was introduced to the depth and weight of the devastating drug war and decided to take on the role of Chapter Leader
What does it mean to be a peer educator?
Written by Guest Blogger Karen Walker, SSDP Peer Education Intern As the Peer Education Program launches this fall, SSDPers will have the opportunity to facilitate open and honest conversation about drug policy while educating their peers on safe and responsible drug use. In order to successfully implement this program and shift attitudes on campus, students must first have a genuine understanding
Participate in the 2016 Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action
Support. Don’t Punish. is a global advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the harms being caused by the war on drugs. The campaign aims to promote drug policies that respect human rights and protect public health, to change laws and policies that impede access to harm reduction interventions and other evidence-based services, and to end the criminalisation of people who
War Against the War on Drugs: The Nigerian Perspective
Written by Davids Blessing Aigbe, an SSDP student from Nigeria. The drug war is an age-long war that has survived many generations. Most leaders of the world and anti-drug agencies spend fortunes every year battling the use of drugs, using wealth that could be utilized to better the lives of citizens. Several anti-drug policies and laws have been enacted. Unfortunately,
SSDP Welcomes the Boston College chapter!
I’m thrilled to announce our newest chapter in Massachusetts at Boston College! Getting the chapter approved by the campus administration proved to be challenging, but chapter leaders Marissa Acevado and Conor Kelly were able to make it happen right at the end of the semester. They are looking forward to educating their peers about harm reduction and drug use, raising
