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New Directions California Coalition: Working Toward a Public Health and Safety Approach to Drug Policy

A campaign of the California Society of Addiction Medicine and the Drug Policy Alliance

Action Alert:
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Is Only a Signature Away

AB 1600, the mental health and substance abuse parity act, passed out of the California Senate and is expected to reach the Governor's desk next week. It is absolutely critical that people write to the Governor urging him to sign AB 1600.

We need the Governor to understand the fiscal benefit of appropriate treatment and how the current system unfairly discriminates against individuals with mental illnesses and addictions. The Governor has vetoed similar parity bills in three previous sessions.

Here's what you can do:

1. Send a support letter to the Governor urging him to sign AB 1600. Here is a link to a template letter. The Governor's contact information is below.

2. Get others to send support letters, reach out to mental health and substance abuse organizations you are a part of and ask them to send a letter too.

Support letters should be faxed or mailed directly to the Governor's office. To send a support letter via email, click here.

CONTACT THE GOVERNOR AT:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160 (new number)

The California Society of Addiction Medicine and the Drug Policy Alliance co-hosted New Directions California: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drug Policy, a one-day conference on July 8, 2010.

Out of that conference came the New Directions California Coalition, a network of individuals and organizations that have endorsed these guiding principles:

  • The war on drugs has failed and it is time for a new approach to drug policy.
  • Effective drug policy balances prevention, harm reduction, treatment and public safety.
  • Alcohol and other drug use is fundamentally a health issue and must be addressed as such.
  • Drug policies must be based on scientific evidence, compassion, health and human rights.

The California Society of Addiction Medicine and the Drug Policy Alliance will work to increase the size of the network, expand the range of individuals and groups that sign on, and facilitate action by alerting coalition members of opportunities for them to act in support of health-oriented drug policies.

If you aren't a member, we hope you will join us!

For more information about New Directions California, please feel free to contact the California Society of Addiction Medicine (at 415 764 4855 or csam@compuserve.com) or the Drug Policy Alliance (at 213 291 4190 or mdooley@drugpolicy.org).

Join the Coalition (download pdf endorsement form)

Conference Archieve

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