Tag: harm reduction
SSDP’s Ullman Testifies at the United Nations
Last month, SSDP Science Policy Committee Co-founder Dr. Elijah Ullman traveled to Vienna, Austria to represent SSDP at the 68th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and to deliver an official statement strongly urging international lawmakers to prevent poorly planned drug scheduling regulations from halting vital scientific research. For reference, Dr. Ullman’s testimony has been included in full
SSDP Bicoastal Blitz Part 2
Happy Thursday! Wherever you are in the world, we hope that your week is off to a productive start so far.As many readers may already be well-aware, the entire SSDP team has been incredibly busy so far this year with back-to-back multi-conference weekends to end the month of March, along with a lengthy list of SSDP chapter gatherings, community events,
Binghampton SSDP Features in Pipe Dream
A group of Binghamton University students have been leading an effort to get a Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) chapter chartered on campus. The process has been spearheaded by Ben Glick — a sophomore majoring in psychology who works as an overdose intervention specialist overseeing Narcan distribution for Broome County — alongside Truth Pharm, a local nonprofit harm reduction
Top Five Reasons from 2023 to Support SSDP in 2024!
2023 was a big year for SSDP—we saw big staff changes (we have a new ED!), we made big policy changes, and we just generally did some amazing work to save lives and END the War on Drugs. Throughout it all, one thing remains true: SSDP is still the most widespread, effective, and intersectional youth drug policy organization in the
SSDP Welcomes gina vensel to Board of Directors
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is elated to welcome our newest appointed Board member, gina vensel. gina’s addition to the board is an exciting time for our organization, and we are looking forward to integrating her vast expertise in advocacy, marketing, fundraising, event coordination, and combating stigma into our work. gina vensel is a marketing and media professional, events
The Case for Descheduling Drugs: From Cannabis to Heroin
Recently, President Biden asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.” The announcement was a welcomed change by many federal cannabis activists, who are calling for the descheduling of cannabis through this review. In order to truly understand why we must deschedule marijuana, it’s important
Students Urge the Biden Administration to Center Harm Reduction in the Methamphetamine Response Plan of 2021
President Bident recently signed the “Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021” into effect, naming methamphetamine as an “emerging drug threat” and directing the Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP) to implement a Methamphetamine Response Plan within 90 days of the signing of the bill. While we are concerned that this law is now targeting people who use methamphetamine with outdated prohibitionist
Students partner with testing manufacturer to provide free harm reduction tools to youth
Luis Montoya luis@ssdp.org Cameron Scally Cameron@dosetest.com March 28, 2022— Students for Sensible Drug Policy and DoseTest are partnering to expand access to drug checking kits and drug checking services for young people who use drugs and their peers across the United States. The partnership was borne out of a mutual desire to make these potentially life saving harm reduction tools
Panel: Drug Legalization as a Public Health Measure
Every year, there are more than 1.5 million drug arrests in the United States. More than 80% of these arrests are for possession only. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have already decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and some are exploring the merits of decriminalizing other drugs. While drug decriminalization is a step in the right
Missoula SSDP successfully pressures Administration to protect student health and safety
The University of Montana SSDP chapter (Missoula SSDP) had a major win in September of 2020 when a unanimous decision to adopt their proposed medical amnesty policy was announced by their Student Government, which was the beginning of their efforts to bring medical amnesty protections on campus. I had the opportunity to speak to Vice President and Treasurer Michael Layeux
WAKE FOREST SCHOOL OF MEDICINE STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY SUCCESSFULLY BANS THE BOX ON THEIR SCHOOL APPLICATION
Interview with Lindsey Galbo, Wake Forest SOM SSDP Chapter President Lindsey Galbo ‘19 is the Founder and President of the Wake Forest School of Medicine Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapter. Lindsey and the rest of the Wake Forest SOM chapter have focused primarily on the intersection of harm reduction, scientific research, education, and policy change. They’ve worked with local
SSDP and Fireside Project announce collaboration
Interview with Annajane Yolken
Interviewer: Liza Begum, Global Operations and U.S. Policy Intern Annajane Yolken is a public health advocate, working to translate data and research into evidence-based drug policy. She is a co-founder and co-chair of the Substance Use Policy, Education, and Recovery (SUPER) PAC. She is also Director of Programs at Project Weber/RENEW, a peer-based harm reduction service organization in Rhode Island.
SSDP’s European Committee is Recruiting New Members for its Harm Reduction Working Group
The SSDP European Committee is happy to open its doors to the freshly formed Harm Reduction Working Group. If you’re a chapter member, alumni, or Ambassador in Europe, then this is your chance to contribute to regional efforts while boosting opportunities and resources for your own local area.
