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Summer Update from IBH It’s been a busy start to the summer at the Institute for Behavior and Health as we continue our mission to identify and promote new ideas to reduce illegal drug use in the interest of public health. We are pleased to share with you some of our most recent highlights — from presentations and publications to partnering with new organizations on our shared goals. We invite you to scroll through this newsletter to view, listen, and read more about our work. We hope the summer has been keeping you busy as well! |
Panel Discussion: The Health Risks and Policy Problems of Marijuana Legalization
IBH President Robert L. DuPont, MD participated in a panel discussion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) centered around the book Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence by Alex Berenson. Mr. Berenson and Dr. DuPont were joined by Jonathan Caulkins, PhD of Carnegie Mellon University, and AEI Resident Scholar Sally Satel, MD. Although the discussion began with the issue of psychosis and mental illness, the panel covered a wide range of topics, including the impact of marijuana commercialization and the various marijuana policy options available, the Parents’ Movement, individual and societal risks of marijuana, and public attitudes towards the negative impacts of nicotine, alcohol, and opioids compared to marijuana.
As the second White House Drug Czar and the first Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Dr. DuPont was in the midst of a concerted effort by President Nixon and Congress to address the rising heroin and marijuana epidemics of the 1960s and 70s. He was recently asked by the Nixon Foundation to discuss his unique perspective on the 50th anniversary of the July 14th, 1969 Special Message to the Congress on Control of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
Dr. DuPont discusses the impact of this “remarkable document” on the development of many aspects and institutions of research, law enforcement, treatment, and international cooperation that still form the core of US drug policy to this day. Dr. DuPont also offers his perspective on today’s drug policy landscape – a landscape that in many ways is so different that it could not have been imagined by policymakers 50 years ago.
Click here to listen to the full interview on the IBH website.
IBH organized a one-day Global Drug Policy Summit, entitled Think Globally Act Locally in Response to the Drug Epidemic, on June 26, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. IBH was pleased to partner with the World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD), Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and Drug Free America Foundation (DFAF) to put together an impressive program filled with local and international leaders in drug policy, substance use disorder treatment, recovery and youth prevention. Sponsored by D.A.R.E. in conjunction with its 32nd International Training Conference, the Global Drug Policy Summit was attended by individuals representing many nations including: Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, India, Kenya, Lebanon, New Zealand, Sweden, Uganda, United Kingdom and the United States.
Click here see the list of presenters and their presentation slides.
The Washington Examiner Publishes Op-Ed on CBD by Robert L. DuPont, MD
Building on the recent testimony of IBH President Robert L. DuPont, MD to the Food and Drug Administration regarding the exploding commercialization of cannabidiol (CBD), The Washington Examiner published an op-ed by Dr. DuPont on this important topic. He observes that “[t]he irrational enthusiasm for the medical use cannabidiol, or CBD, is unique and frightening. We are watching the explosive creation of a multibillion-dollar industry poised to make tremendous profits off desperate patients and their loved ones…Anecdotes and testimonials, not science, are driving the marketing of unregulated, nonprescription forms of CBD. This scenario is reminiscent of 19th century patent medicines. These concoctions claimed to cure every known condition; their peddlers were commonly known as ‘snake oil’ salesmen.”
Click here to read the full op-ed on The Washington Examiner website.
Self-Care Tips for Family Members Facing Substance Use Disorders
Family members who are helping loved ones suffering substance use disorders face their own difficulties with stress and exhaustion. IBH Vice President Caroline DuPont, MD recently wrote about steps they can take to care for themselves while caring for others in a blog post featured on the Addiction Policy Forum website. The importance of self-care cannot be overstated, as it ultimately benefits both the family member and the loved one they are seeking to help. As Dr. DuPont notes in her post, you must “put on your own oxygen mask first before helping another”.
Click here to read Dr. DuPont’s full tips for self-care on the APF website.