No Child Left Behind? Creating Drug Policies to Include Young People

No Child Left Behind? Creating Drug Policies to Include Young People
San Gabriel A, Lobby Level 
Young people in the US are disproportionately targeted and impacted by prohibitionist policies. Despite this, drug policy reformers often end up advocating for new policies that exclude protection for those under 21, or that even increase penalties directed at youth. Given that public opinion research suggests that drug policy reform initiatives cannot win when youth are afforded the same protections as adults, how can young people exert greater influence over drug policy reform advocacy and legislation? 

Facilitator: Aaron Houston, Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington DC

• Stacia Cosner, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington DC
• Michael Everett, Team Leader, Capacity Building Specialist, Harm Reduction Coalition, New York, NY
• Member Representative, Youth Justice Coalition, Los Angeles, CA            
• Member Representative, Center for Young Women’s Development, San Francisco, CA    
• Kim McGill, Organizer, Youth Justice Coalition, Los Angeles, CA
• Judith Renaud, Executive Director, Educators for Sensible Drug Policy, Vancouver, Canada     
• Jordan Seaberry, Organizer, DARE, Providence, RI
• Noemi Soto, Coalition for Responsible Community Development, Los Angeles, CA