The goal of drug legalization cannot be achieved without ignoring and actively suppressing available scientific data about drug abuse. The drug legalization proponents have been somewhat successful in questioning scientific knowledge. Opinion leaders and decision makers are unsure about the extent of the health hazards of narcotics, and many seem to be moving in the direction of rather lenient ways of dealing with the problem.

Scientists and physicians play a leading role regarding health issues. People's attitudes toward drugs particularly depends on what the doctors say.

Drug Free America Foundation (DFAF) has formed a new division known as the International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse. This forum's commitment is to review current articles and published research and provide scientific knowledge to the public about narcotics in an understandable form. It is also our commitment to attain international respect as a group of scientists and physicians who are leading experts in the field of drug abuse and/or the application of valid medicines and techniques in treating patients for various conditions and illnesses.

Participants in the forum are dedicated to:

• reducing the availability and use of illegal drugs,
• promoting prevention and treatment of drug abuse, and
• supporting scientific studies of addiction and related public policy options.

Participants further believe that:

• illegal drugs are a threat for our society and for the future of mankind,
• society should be committed to ban illegal trafficking and consumption,
• society should be committed to provide treatment for addicts and abusers with the ultimate goal of abstinence,
• all forces in society should be committed to work together toward a mutual goal of a society free of illegal drugs, and
• drug policy should be in accordance with scientific knowledge.

Forum participants include scientists that work in the drug-related field and medical practitioners such as physicians, pharmacologists, chemists and toxicologists. Participants of the forum are expected to be objective on the medical and scientific issues surrounding drug legalization and to support the guiding principles of DFAF and the International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse.

The forum consists of participants in three categories as follows:

1) Advisory board, which will:

• review articles and published research to assess credibility and develop layman's summaries;
• help create and endorse resolutions for release to the public;
• write articles for publications;
• assist in getting articles published;
• make statements for news releases;
• receive, review and reply to current issues as posed by DFAF; and
• allow public use of name and position/title in affiliation with forum and its activities.

2) Speakers bureau, which will:

• debate peers;
• appear with DFAF representatives at major presentations;
• appear on television and radio programs; and
• allow public use of name and position/title and affiliation with forum and its activities.

3) General participants, who will:

• endorse resolutions for release to the public,
• assist in getting articles published when possible, and
• allow public use of name and position/title in affiliation with forum and its activities.

Activities proposed for participants of the International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse include:

• Review drug-related research as it is published and provide comments to the public
  
• Compile and index current drug research and disseminate to advance knowledge on the issues
  
• Provide a sharing of drug-related knowledge and experiences among physicians and scientists on an international level
  
• Conduct studies to examine specific issues such as marijuana as medicine, needle exchange programs, harms of marijuana, heroin treatment, etc.
  
• Organize and host an international meeting of researchers and physicians on the topics of marijuana as medicine, heroin maintenance as treatment, needle exchanges, etc.
  
• Write and publish articles that translate technical scientific language in scientific studies to lay language. These articles can be published in trade magazines, local newspapers, on Web sites, etc.
  
• Write and publish a quarterly newsletter
  
• Provide experts as speakers to support drug education programs internationally
  
• Educate the public about the scientific method and peer review and about why these are important gauges of scientific accuracy and validity
  
• Educate the public about the drug control laws and FDA regulations that govern the approval of medicines as safe and effective and how both sets of laws have protected the public for nearly a century
  
• Present analyses and examples of the ways the drug legalization movement purposefully distorts scientific and medical information about drug effects
  
• Participate in public debates about issues such as marijuana as medicine, heroin maintenance and needle exchange programs
  
• Make appearances on television and radio programs to discuss drug-related issues
  
• Issue press releases to comment on drug-related issues that are currently being discussed by the public

For more information, please visit: www.globaldrugpolicy.org