The war on drugs has cost the nation more than one trillion dollars, exacerbated racial injustices, and torn families apart through the routine criminalization of communities of color, low-income people and the deportation of immigrants. Change at the federal and state level is often slow, but local jurisdictions have the opportunity to begin repairing the damage of the decades-long war on drugs much more quickly. Local communities can work to develop and implement a more compassionate, and ultimately, more successful response. Please register to join us next Wednesday, December 9, for Going Local: Drug Policy Reform in New Mexico to learn about the collaborations, successes, and progress being made in New Mexico and local communities across the nation. This free virtual event is open to all and will explore how communities can work together to push drug policy reform forward and support the health and wellbeing of residents by taking action locally. The agenda will cover a wide range of topics from reducing the role of the criminal justice system in responding to drug use to harm reduction and treatment services to drug education for youth. And we’ve lined up expert speakers from Baltimore to Vancouver along with a keynote by DPA Executive Director Kassandra Frederique. DPA has led the way on developing and implementing a Municipal Drug Strategyframework in Ithaca, New York, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and this virtual event will dive into how communities can drive impactful, local solutions to the devastating drug war. We are proud to be hosting this event along with Crossroads for Women, Law Offices of the Public Defender, New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, New Mexico Voices for Children, The Lieving Group, LLC., Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, Casa de Salud, and the NM Opioid Hub. I hope you will register to join us next week to learn more about advancing drug policy reform in your communities.   RSVP HERE