DRUG POLICY DEBATE ON BBC PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE 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 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/ Thanks for your effort and support. It's not what others do it's what YOU do 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. Prepared by: Stephen Heath, MAP Media Activism Facilitator =.

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