Drug Policy Reform Conference Starts Off With a Bang at NYAM

The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and Drug Policy Alliance’s (DPA) groundbreaking conference "New Directions for New York: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drug Policy" started last Thursday with a rousing assertion by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver that 2009 would be the year that the New York State Assembly would enact real, comprehensive, common-sense drug law

Last night's kick off to the groundbreaking conference "New Directions for New York: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drug Policy" was met with applause.

reform to the Rockefeller Drug Laws to instead address the full range of public health issues that spring from illicit drug use.

"Certainly, there has never been any question in our minds that ... the Rockefeller Drug Laws are and always have been a huge catastrophe for this state and absolutely must be reformed," said Speaker Silver. "We will be looking to The New York Academy of Medicine, to the Drug Policy Alliance and to all advocacy groups, to help us reverse 35 years of racism, inhumanity and ignorance."

Since its inception in 1973, the Rockefeller Drug Laws required judges to impose harsh mandatory minimum prison sentences on drug offenders. More than

Video from Thursday Night Welcome to the event

Why Are We Here? A Public Health Approach Remarks from the Assembly

Remarks from the Senate Remarks from the Governor's office Remarks from the New York City Council Remarks from the New York City Department of Corrections Roundtable Discussion

35 years later, it is clear that those laws have effectively failed to combat drug abuse in New York State. Eliminating judicial discretion and imposing a one-size-fits-all criminal approach to drug abuse, the Rockefeller Drug Laws have ignored the health and societal implications of drug abuse. In 35 years, tens of thousands of low-level non-violent offenders, who are predominantly African-American and Latino, have been incarcerated, costing the state more than $500 million a year to imprison.

"We should gauge success by improvements in the health of individuals, families and communities," said Dr Ruth Finkelstein, Vice President for Health Policy at NYAM. "These should be the metrics by which we judge the effectiveness of our policies, not incarceration rates."

The conference, which goes on today with panel discussions and a closing plenary session, brings together at The New York Academy of Medicine, representatives from the State Assembly, the Senate, the Governor’s Office, the New York City Council, the New York City Department of Corrections, academic researchers, advocacy groups, health professionals, former prisoners and their families, community organizations and hospitals to talk about real change from a criminal approach to drug abuse to a public health one. Never have so many disparate groups been brought together to discuss these options that could change the lives of many, including the 13,000 drug offenders in prison today.

Slide Show of NYAM's Drug Policy Historical Archive

Drug Policy Fact Sheets

What is a Public Health approach to drug policy?

Cost Effectivness

Public Safety

Prevention

Treatment

Harm Reduction

NYAM has been advancing the health of people in cities since 1847. An independent organization, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to innovative research, education, community engagement and policy leadership. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging; to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health; and to implement interventions that eliminate health disparities.

For more information on the Division of Health Policy, please click here.

To receive information on the conference, email newdirections@nyam.org

Posted on January 23, 2009

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Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
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New York, New York 10029
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amartin@nyam.org

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