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.

032	Wanted	"Wanted" Qualities we would like to see in our next "Drug Czar," Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, sadly lacking in former Director Barry McCaffrey. Available in printer-ready Portable Document Format (PDF).
031	Voting Rights	"Voting Rights" No other democracy besides the U.S. disenfranchises convicted offenders for life. Many democratic nations, including Denmark, France, Israel, and Poland, permit prisoners to vote as well. Available in printer-ready Portable Document Format (PDF).
030	Drug Courts: Can We Make Them More Effective?	"Drug Courts: Can We Make Them More Effective?" Drug Courts are an evolving approach that substitutes mandatory treatment for incarceration. Because drug courts are new, much of the research on their effectiveness is recent, incomplete and inconclusive. Also available in printer-ready Portable Document Format (PDF).
029	A Real War in Colombia?	"A Real War in Colombia?" No interdiction program has had any serious impact on the supply of illegal drugs in the U.S. Rather, these campaigns have spurred new source countries, new trafficking routes and new drugs. Available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
028	What We Know About Ecstasy	"What We Know About Ecstasy" The 'club drug', 'Ecstasy' (MDMA), has been attracting a lot of attention in the media. Some news reports are quite alarming. What do we we really know about Ecstasy and the 'rave' culture that has embraced it? Available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
027	How We Judge a Fallen Hero	"How We Judge a Fallen Hero" An insightful editorial on disgraced athlete Darryl Strawberry by Ethan Nadelmann, Director of the Lindesmith Center drug policy institute. Published in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Philadelphia Daily News, March 2000. Also available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
026	What do America's major cities have in common with L.A.?	"What do America's major cities have in common with L.A.?" "Since 1995, 10 police officers from Philadelphia's 39th District have been charged with planting drugs on suspects, shaking down drug dealers for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and breaking into homes to steal drugs and cash.” - General Accounting Office, 1998. Available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
025	Findings of the British Police Foundation	"Findings of the British Police Foundation" A two-year study recently concluded that Britain should move away from the American model of tougher enforcement and longer prison sentences and move instead in the direction of other democracies in Western Europe, where possession of many drugs and hallucinogens has been decriminalized. Available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
024	Just Say Not Guilty?	"Just Say Not Guilty?" The injustices of the war on drugs have become obvious to many Americans. In cases where the law, the prosecutorial excesses, and the likely sentence seem manifestly unfair, jury nullification is a legitimate option. Available in Portable Document Format (PDF).
023	The more we escalate the drug war	"The more we escalate the drug war, the more young people and others die." This advertisement observes how drug overdose deaths rise in concert with drug-related incarceration rates. Also available in printer-ready Portable Document Format (PDF).