August 2016
SSDP Welcomes the Colorado College Chapter
It’s that time of the year again! School is back in session and newly established SSDP chapters are just rolling into outreach staffs’ inboxes. The folks at Colorado College are a newly established chapter and sent me some insight into what it’s been like for them to get started. Check it out! How did you hear about SSDP? One of
Today is International Overdose Awareness Day
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held on August 31st each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose. IOAD spreads the message
We Need to Do More to Address Drug Overdoses
Today (August 31st) is International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event that aims reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, remember those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose, and to spread the message that the tragedy of overdose is preventable. This blog post was written by SSDP Alumna Elizabeth Kinnard, who now works for Community Catalyst’s
August Monthly Mosaic: Back-to-School: Building an Inclusive Chapter
Back-to-School: Building an Inclusive Chapter Summer is coming to an end, and, if it hasn’t started already, the beginning of the school year is quickly approaching. Recruiting members is one of the first and most important actions that chapters can take to build their network and engage other student activists. Planning out how you will conduct outreach and organize actions
Alaska: A Pioneer for Sensible Alcohol Policy
On July 6, 2016, Alaska governor Bill Walker took a major leap towards a sensible alcohol policy by signing SB 165 into law. Taking effect on October 4, 2016, this new piece of legislation is positive for Alaskan parents and teenagers, as it lowers drinking penalties in multiple ways for those under 21, and instead focuses on educating youth about
Call to Action: Demand Justice for Ayotzinapa Victims and an End to State-Sponsored Repression
Written by Jacki Moreira, SSDP’s Latin American Policy Intern September 26th, 2016 will mark 2 years since 43 students of la Escuela Normal Raúl Isidro Burgos, or the Normal Rural de Ayotzinapa, disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero. The Normal de Ayotzinapa is a college where Campesinos lived and studied to become teachers serving in their own rural communities. Rural normal colleges
It’s Time to Stop Profiting off America’s Prison System
Written by CUNY Baruch SSDP Chapter Leader Leland Radovanovic, This article originally appeared on The Odyssey Online. On Thursday, August 18th, the Deputy Attorney of the Department of Justice, General Sally Yates, released a memo detailing their plan to roll back the use of private prisons. Through DOJ studies, they found that private prisons are not kept to same standards
Save the Date: 2016 SSDP Regional Conferences
We’ve just announced our 2016 Regional Conference dates and locations! Regional conferences are a fantastic opportunity to meet and network with SSDPers from your region. While typically not as large the national conferences, the regional nature of the events allow students to focus more on local and state issues. In chronological order: Northeast Region (October 1) Northeastern University – Boston,
Design a T-Shirt for SSDP, Get CAT Points for Creativity!
As the 2016-17 school year approaches, SSDP is looking to add new swag to our collection, with the help of our very own network! SSDP is holding our 2016-17 t-shirt design contest, where SSDPers have the chance to enter their own design to be considered for our new SSDP merch. The only requirement is that the shirt must be in
Just Say Know: Disclosing Drug Use
As Peer Educators introduce ideas, facilitate discussions, and encourage others to share their experiences, one may be asked about personal experiences. In order to remain professional and unbiased, facilitators should consider what is appropriate to share, and when it is fitting to share with their audience. Audience members might ask about a facilitator’s personal experiences using a substance out of
The Need for Drug Policy Reform in Ghana and West Africa
By Isaiah Adegoke Jnr, a member of SSDP Ghana and a Fellow at the 3rd West Africa Executive Course on Human Rights and Drug Policy. The 3rd Executive Course on Human Rights and Drug Policy in West Africa, hosted from the 25th to 30th of July, 2016 at the University of Ghana, emphasized the need for a review of policies
SSDP Welcomes the DePaul University Chapter
It’s the middle of August, and school is almost back in session, which means we are about to see another tidal wave of newly established SSDP chapters as students come back to campus. I’m happy that the first chapter I get to introduce to the network in the 2016-2017 school year is the re-established DePaul University chapter. I met Amy
Rodrigo Duterte: Learn from the Failures of Mexico’s Drug War
Written by Chris Kent Lopez, an SSDP alum from the University of California Berkeley. Check out more of his writing on his personal blog, Reflexiones Sobre Nuestra America. Presidential candidates in countries torn by drug production and trafficking win executive power by campaigning their commitment towards tackling organized crime and extracting corruption from institutions of governance. On June 30, 2016, Rodrigo Duterte,
Our Unjust Justice System
Written by Lauren Mendelsohn ’09 If law school taught me anything, it’s that our system of “justice” is, in reality, horribly unjust and broken in many ways. There are many causes of this, from bad laws that are still on the books to the way that judges and justices are selected. But perhaps the largest contributing factor is the perverse incentive
Sensible Tobacco Consumption
That title may seem like an oxymoron, but before writing this, I rolled up and smoked some natural, additive-free tobacco in a leaf of organic hemp rolling paper, without using a filter. The point of this piece is not to condemn nor condone the activity of tobacco smoking, but in the spirit of harm reduction, it is to explain why,
How to Participate in the 2016 International Overdose Awareness Day
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is a global event held on August 31st each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose. IOAD spreads the message
SSDP Welcomes the Jindal Global Law School Chapter!
I am thrilled to announce that SSDP has it’s first ever chapter in India at Jindal Global Law School! Chapter Leader Samyak Gangwal has gotten off to a quick start, conducting his first meeting just days after chatting with me about starting a chapter for the first time. He is excited to bring sensibility to a campus drug policy that
