When?

Monday, May 14 2012 at 7:30PM

Download iCalendar file

(e.g. import to Outlook or Google Calendar)

Where?

The Admiral

72a Waterloo Street

Who?

Ewan Hoyle

What's the talk about?

Drug policy is a highly controversial political issue that the vast majority of politicians instinctively avoid. Policy in the area is frequently guided less by the available scientific and economic evidence than by consideration of the perceived opinions of the public and the media.

In this talk, Ewan will present the evidence indicating that certain reforms of drug policy are likely to be far more successful in limiting harm. He will also present important evidence indicating that any evidence-led reforms are highly likely to be politically popular as well as effective. Finally, Ewan will discuss the importance of language and terminology to any future debate on alternative policies and how alternative drug policy options can be presented so that politicians no longer fear engaging with the issue.

Ewan is the founder of Liberal Democrats for Drug Policy Reform and lead author of their newly updated drug policy "Protecting individuals and communities from drug harms". He has a Masters in Neuroscience from the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London and is currently completing a Masters in Public Policy at the University of Glasgow. He has recently had comment pieces published in the British Medical Journal and "The House" and blogs regularly at Liberal Democrat Voice.