SA Drug Policy Week 2017 Public Sessions

Tue Aug 1, 19:00 - Thu Aug 3, 21:00

Kramer Law Building, Middle Campus, UCT

ABOUT

On the evenings of the 1st and 3rd of August 2017 some of the most knowledgeable and controversial international experts on drugs, drug policy and human rights will meet to discuss how drugs and drug policy impact on human rights, health and drug related harm. This event is part of SA Drug Policy Week 2017.

Each evening there will be brief presentations followed by a facilitated discussion based on questions you and other members of the public have provided. The mainspeakers will be joined by at least one other surprise panalist who will add a different voice to the conversation. This event promises to be controversial, eye-opening and entertaining. To find out more about the local situation, don't miss the UCT Winter School from 7-11 August 2017: Decriminalisation/Legalisation: What will the impact be on gangs?

Professor David Nutt
(Tuesday 1st August only!)

Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences: Imperial College, London
Chair: DrugScience
President: European Brain Council
"The psychoactive substances bill is the most oppressive law in terms of controlling moral behaviour since the Act of Supremacy Bill of 1558 that banned the practice of the Catholic faith. Both are based on a moral superiority that specifies the state will decide on acceptable actions and beliefs even if they don’t affect other people."

Dr Ethan Nadelmann
Founder & Former Director: Drug Policy Alliance
Advisor: Open Society Foundation’s Global Drug Policy Project (GDPP)
“The reason some drugs are legal and others are not has nothing to do with science or health or the risk of drugs, and everything to do with who uses, and is perceived to use, certain drugs,”
"If the principal smokers of cocaine were affluent older white men and the principal users of Viagra were young black men, using Viagra would land you time behind bars."
"The entire war on drugs disproportionately targets poor people and people of color."


Neil Woods
Former Undercover Drugs Detective Sergeant
Chairman LEAP UK (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition)
"Many of the people I was encountering were just problematic drug users in need of help rather than hardened criminals….What I definitely do regret, however, are all the lives of vulnerable people that I made infinitely more unbearable through my work."

Anand Grover
(Thursday 3rd August only!)

The Global Commission on Drug Policy
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health
Lancet-University of Oslo Panel on Global Governance on Health
"The current international system of drug control has focused on creating a drugfree world, almost exclusively through use of law enforcement policies and criminal sanctions. Mounting evidence, however, suggests this approach has failed, primarily because it does not acknowledge the realities of drug use and dependence. While drugs may have a pernicious effect on individual lives and society, this excessively punitive regime has not achieved its stated public health goals, and has resulted in countless human rights violations."


Shaun Shelly - Facilitator
Project, Policy, Advocacy & Human Rights Manager, TBHIV Care
African & Middle East Representative for the Strategic Sub-Committee, IDPC
2016 International Drug Policy Fellow
Researcher: University of Pretoria
Shaun Shelly will facilitate an open panel discussion between the panalists and pose them questions provided by you and other members of the public. We will answer questions, debate the controversies and see the use and prohibition of drugs in a totally new way.

The evening promises to be fascinating, controversial and enthralling.

Who knew that talking about drugs could be this exciting?

THE SPEAKERS

DIRECTIONS

SA Drug Policy Week 2017 Public Sessions
Kramer Law Building, Middle Campus, UCT
Stanley Rd, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
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