Saving Money, Saving Lives: Exploring the Case for an Integrated Approach to Vancouver's Drug Problems

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 10, 2002

Saving Money, Saving Lives is the theme for a symposium taking place September 17 and 18th at Simon Fraser University; Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue.

The symposium will feature New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson as the keynote speaker. Governor Johnson, a Republican, has led a bi-partisan effort in his State in addressing drug problems. Also speaking will be Patrick Basham, formerly of the Fraser Institute now with the CATO Institute in Washington D.C.

Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, the Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Illicit Drugs in Canada will address the symposium as will Ron Walchuk, from the office of the Auditor General of Canada.

Canada's Auditor General estimates the annual cost of illicit drug use to Canadian society for health care, lost productivity, property crime, and law enforcement exceeds 5 billion dollars.

The symposium will present a detailed economic case for a comprehensive drug strategy that integrates the four pillars of treatment, prevention, enforcement and harm reduction and will explore cost effective alternatives to the status quo.

The symposium is open to the public and will be interesting to those involved in business, policy makers, elected leaders, law enforcement, educators, community and labour groups, affected individuals, health and social services sector and the media.