The New York Academy of Medicine and the Drug Policy Alliance have come together to convene a conference to develop new policy solutions that take advantage of existing, effective public health and safety tools in our city and state. The New Directions for New York conference will encourage participants to develop concrete intervention and policy proposals for New Yorkers affected by substance use and misuse.

This conference follows the historic hearings convened by the New York State Assembly last May to examine a public health approach to drug policy. In a rare occurrence, the hearings were conducted jointly by six Assembly Committees -- three from the field of criminal justice (Codes, Corrections, and Judiciary), and three from public health (Health, Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, and Social Services). The hearings brought together a wide array of stakeholders to discuss and explore what a coordinated public health approach to drug policy would look like. Together we can develop public health-oriented approaches to our drug policies that save lives, reduce the harms associated with drug misuse, enhance public safety, and conserve our scarce tax dollars.

The confference will be held on Thursday evening, January 22 & Friday, all day, January 23, 2009