Public Service Advertisements

Is Truth a Casualty of the Drug War?

The Public Service Advertisements below ran from 1999 to 2007, focusing on misinformation in the drug war.

The Common Sense public information campaign carefully quoted credible research and leading authorities so as to provide the public with reliable information and to better inform the debate on drug policy. CSDP's PSAs ran in Reason, The American Prospect, The National Review, The Nation, The New Republic, and The Progressive.

Please note: These PSAs may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission and with or without attribution provided the meaning is faithfully maintained.

082	Newark Mayor Blasts Drug War	"Newark Mayor Blasts Drug War" For Cory Booker, it has been a sobering first year as mayor. He is an angrier man now. And the focus of that anger is a public policy that he believes is ruining his city and threatening his hopes to change it. The problem, he says, is New Jersey's tough tactics in the drug war. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
081	Supreme Court Justice Questions Marijuana Policy	"Supreme Court Justice Questions Marijuana Policy" Dissenting from the recent Supreme Court ruling on the suspension of an Alaskan student for waving a banner – "BONG HITS 4 JESUS" – at a high school event, Justice Stevens takes the long view. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
080	Meet the Drug War Winners & Losers	"Meet the Drug War Winners & Losers" Winners: Prison Guards, Prison Owners, and the Drug Testing Industry among others. Losers include Education, Public Safety, Police Departments, and our Children. Isn't it about time we tried peace? A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
079	Iraq vets victims of the drug war	"Iraq vets victims of the drug war" Our troops in Iraq have been fighting under horrific conditions; post-traumatic stress disorder is widespread yet when troops return their access to care for PTSD and for alcohol and other drug abuse problems is limited. Failure to provide prompt treatment for all returning troops is an outrage that demands action by Congress. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
078	A Letter To Mom	"A Letter To Mom" In time for the holidays, this PSA is a reproduction of an actual letter written by a young man fresh out of college thanking his mother for her love and guidance. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
077	The Blue Ribbon Report Richard Nixon Chose to Bury	"The Blue Ribbon Report Richard Nixon Chose to Bury" In 1972, Richard Nixon appointed former Republican Pennsylvania Governor Raymond Shafer to head a National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. The conclusions of that report were not what the President wanted. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
076	Good News for Doctors and Pain Patients	"Good News for Doctors and Pain Patients" A federal appeals court decision and moves by the Drug Enforcement Administration point to progress in pain management policy. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
075	The Addict Who Invented Modern Surgery	"The Addict Who Invented Modern Surgery" This PSA tells of the physician, surgeon, and opiate addict, Dr. William Stewart Halsted, who is regarded as the father of modern surgery. Text excerpted from "Drug Crazy," Mike Gray, Random House, 1988. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
074	The Man Who Gave Us The Drug War	"The Man Who Gave Us The Drug War" This PSA tells of the man behind the 1914 Harrison Narcotics Act, Dr. Hamilton Wright. Text excerpted from "Drug Crazy," Mike Gray, Random House, 1988. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
073	The Devil Weed and Harry Anslinger	"The Devil Weed and Harry Anslinger." Harry J. Anslinger, a former railroad cop and Prohibition agent, is almost single-handedly responsible for outlawing marijuana. Text excerpted from "Drug Crazy," Mike Gray, Random House, 1988. A camera-ready copy of this PSA is available in Portable Document Format (PDF).