Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006
Subject: #326 Drug Policy Debate On BBC
DRUG POLICY DEBATE ON BBC
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DrugSense FOCUS Alert #326 – Saturday, 11 March 2006
Can the War on Drugs Be Won?
What Do You Think of the Drug Laws in Your Country?
It’s estimated that five percent of the world’s adult population has
used drugs over the last twelve months. The illegal trade is said to
be worth as much as $400 billion per year.
This week, the Afghan government started to destroy fields of opium
poppies, but a bumper harvest is still expected. Farmers say they need
the income. Others say the drugs destroy lives and the profits can be
used to fund terrorism.
There are signs in the U.S. that drug use is falling among teenagers,
but illegal use of prescription drugs is on the increase.
What’s the best way to tackle drug supply and abuse? Is drug use
becoming socially acceptable? Would legalization make the problem
better or worse?
These questions will be addressed on the BBC program “Have Your Say”
on Sunday, 12 March at 9 am EST, 8 am CST, 7 am MST 6 am PST in North
America, or 2 pm (14:00 hours) UTC/GMT wherever you are. The program
actually starts at five minutes after the hour immediately after the
news break.
This is sure to be a lively and informative discussion between Antonio
Marie Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime;
Danny Kushlick of Transform Drug Policy Foundation, the United
Kingdom’s leading drug policy reform organization; and Law Enforcement
Against Prohibition Executive Director, Jack Cole.
The show is broadcast on both radio and TV to 65 countries and over
the internet. For details, see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/talking_point_programme/default.stm
To find out how you can listen to the program please go to Radio
Schedules at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/worldservice/psims/ScheduleSDT.cgi
Please check your local cable/satellite TV listings to see if you may
watch the show.
To get involved in the discussion before and during the show, go to
the BBC website at
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=1261&start=0&&&edition=2&ttl060311055416
Please consider writing at least one short question and submitting it
to the producers prior to the show. Also consider writing a follow up
note after the broadcast to BBC with your perceptions of the event.
You may use this form to provide the BBC with feedback
http://www.bbcworld.com/content/template_customer_feedback.asp?pageid11
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To learn more about Law Enforcement Against Prohibition visit the LEAP
website http://www.leap.cc
For more information about Transform please visit their website
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/
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Thanks for your effort and support.
It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do
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Additional suggestions for increasing media coverage of drug policy
reform issues can be found at our Media Activism Center:
http://www.mapinc.org/resource/
Or contact MAP Media Activism Facilitator Steve Heath for personal
tips on how to write LTEs that get printed and how to increase your
local newspaper, radio and television coverage of drug policy reform.
heath@mapinc.org
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Prepared by: Stephen Heath, MAP Media Activism Facilitator =.