Events

The International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy (ITFSDP) has met annually since 2001, and some meetings have been coordinated in conjunction with larger conferences that may share similar themes but are open to invited guests in the fields of prevention, treatment, law enforcement and interdiction, civic leadership, community leaders, academic, social service and parent groups. Numerous collaborations have resulted from these meetings, along with a greatly expanded global network of drug prevention activists. Task Force events (including larger conferences) have been held in the following cities:

• St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, April 26-29, 2001 - 75 people in attendance for the Task Force meeting

• Vancouver, Canada, May 4, 2002 - 120 people in attendance for the conference and 75 people in attendance for the Task Force meeting

• Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 25-27, 2003 - 110 people in attendance for the conference and 60 people in attendance for the Task Force meeting

• Tampa, FL, United States, June 24-25, 2004 - 60 people in attendance for the Task Force meeting

• EU Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, February 27-28, 2005 - 130 people in attendance for the conference and 75 people in attendance for the Task Force meeting

• London, England, August 8-9, 2006 - 120 people in attendance for the conference and 75 people in attendance for the Task Force meeting

• St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, January 24-25, 2007 - 60 people in attendance

• Guayaquil, Ecuador, June 12-13, 2008 - 155 people in attendance for the conference and 75 people in attendance for the Task Force meeting

In summary, Task Force events, including meetings convening the membership of the Task Force and conferences directly linked to these meetings, have been conducted in seven cities around the world over the last nine years. These international events have reached nearly 1,200 people who are among the elite in the field of drug demand reduction, and these events have resulted in substantial international collaboration, information exchange and media exposure.

The Task Force has authored and adopted several key policy documents including a policy paper entitled “A New Approach to Reduce Drug Demand – Rooted in Hope, Growing with Success” , a white paper entitled “Statement On So-Called `Harm Reduction´ Policies,” a “Resolution Concerning Drug Abuse and Human Rights,” “The Guayaquil Resolution 2008” and other initiatives of individual members.

The Task Force has also supported the Project SUNDIAL (Supporting United Nations Drug Initiatives And Legislation) Petition efforts to surpass the project goal of 1 million by over 4 million additional signatures for a total of more than 5 million signatures and has garnered tremendous media attention throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe.

The Task Force also strongly endorses a paper, written by Stephan Dahlgren and Roxana Stere, about the Right of Children to be Protected from Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances which was presented at the World Forum Against Drugs in May 2010. This enlightening paper clearly outlines the damage that drug use causes to the world's children and how it is truly a violation of their rights.

The Task Force also strongly endorses the work of Dr. Manuel Pinto Coelho, President of the Association for a Drug Free Portugal in his paper analyzing current drug policies in Portugal. Please read the paper that he presented at the World Forum Against Drugs in May 2010 here.

Workshops Supported by the International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy

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