Drug policy and the public good - oxymoron or inseparable concepts?

Join the leaders in the field to hear what's working and what's not around the world in drug policy - and what should be done differently

TORONTO, Feb. 16 /CNW/ - Drug policy - or really, the way our society controls and provides interventions for both legal and illegal psychoactive substances - is one of those things that seems inherently controversial.

Opinion leaders, politicians and media focus much of our attention on a few high-profile issues, such as supervised injection sites or law-and-order oriented drug laws. But what about legal drugs such as alcohol? What about the recent focus on the rise of prescription medication misuse?

Now a new book by 12 world-leading scientists in substance use, public health and policy research is calling for a renewed approach to drug policy that's evidence-based, realistic and coordinated. Join three of these researchers and other public health experts for a discussion and interview opportunities at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

    
    What:

    Discussion by world-leading addiction researchers, and policy leaders, of
    drug policy - what's working, what isn't, and what needs to be done to
    more effectively deal with problematic psychoactive drug use.

    When/Where:

        Monday, February 22, 2010

        Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) - Russell St Site

        33 Russell Street, Toronto - Room 2029

        10 am - 12 noon

    Who:

    Dr. Thomas Babor - principal author, Drug Policy and the Public Good,
    Professor, Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University
    of Connecticut School of Medicine

    Dr. Jurgen Rehm, Chair, Addiction Policy, Dalla Lana School of Public
    Health, University of Toronto and Senior Scientist, CAMH

    Dr. Benedikt Fischer, Professor and CIHR/PHAC Chair in Applied Public
    Health, Simon Fraser University

    Liz Janzen, Director for Healthy Living, Healthy Communities, Toronto
    Public Health, speaking on implications for Toronto's Drug Strategy

    Dr. Perry Kendall, Provincial Health Officer, BC, speaking on
    implications for public health oriented policy
    

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development, prevention and health promotion to transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues.

For further information: Michael Torres, Media Relations, CAMH at [phone] or [email protected]