On December 1, 2000, Drug Free America Foundation announced the establishment of yet another division, the Institute on Global Drug Policy. The Institute is an alliance of physicians, scientists, attorneys and drug specialists that advocate public policies to curtail the illegal use of alcohol or harmful drugs. The members of the Institute work toward reducing alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use by promoting a comprehensive approach to drug prevention, education, treatment and interdiction.

The Institute is chaired by Eric A. Voth, M.D., FACP, who is recognized as an international authority on drug use and lectures nationally on drug policy issues. He has advised the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations and has advised or testified for numerous Congressional offices on drug-related issues. He was recently recognized by the former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy General Barry McCaffrey with the “Director’s Award” for his outstanding achievement on combating drug use in our nation.

The Institute on Global Drug Policy will work closely with another division of Drug Free America Foundation, the International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse, a brain-trust of the world’s leading physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and scholars researching drug use and abuse.

The Institute is charged with creating and strengthening international laws that hold drug users and dealers criminally accountable for their actions. It will vigorously promote treaties and agreements that provide clear penalties to individuals who buy, sell or use harmful drugs. It will push for a uniform legal requirement that marijuana and other addictive drugs must meet the same scientific standards as other drugs to be deemed therapeutic for medical conditions.

The Institute on Global Drug Policy supports:

• clear messages and standards of no illegal use of alcohol or other drugs which includes no underage use;
• comprehensive and coordinated approaches including prevention, education, law enforcement and treatment in addressing the problems of the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs;
• strong laws and meaningful penalties, which hold users and dealers accountable for their actions;
• the requirement that any medicinal use of psychoactive or addictive drugs meet the current therapeutic criteria required for all other drugs;
• adherence to the scientific research standards and ethics that are prescribed by the world scientific community and professional associations in conducting studies and reviews on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs;
• efforts to prevent availability of illicit drugs;
• efforts to oppose policies based on the concept of harm reduction;
• international treaties and agreements, which include sanctions and penalties against drug trafficking;
• efforts to oppose attempts to weaken international drug policies and laws;
• efforts that oppose the legalization or decriminalization of drugs; and
• the freedom and rights of individuals without jeopardizing the health and general welfare of society.

For more information, please visit us at www.globaldrugpolicy.org