Stories by Tony Newman

Tony Newman is communications director for the Drug Policy Alliance.subscribe to Tony Newman's rss feed

When Will U.S. Drug Policy Heed Leaders' Calls for Legalization? Biden Visits Latin America

Posted on Mar 5, 2012, Source: AlterNet

American citizens and Latin American leaders alike are warming up to legalization, but our leaders in Washington are not participating in this side of the drug policy debate.

How an Attractive, Undercover Cop Posed as a Student -- Then Entrapped a Smitten Teen to "Sell" Her Marijuana

Posted on Feb 15, 2012, Source: AlterNet

After spending weeks sharing stories about his life, texting and flirting, one 18-year-old honor student fell in love with the cop who busted him.

Get Busted for Marijuana, Work as Police Informant, Get Killed? How the Drug War Turns Arrests Into Deaths

Posted on Jan 13, 2012, Source: AlterNet

No one has ever died from smoking marijuana. But getting busted with a small amount of marijuana has led to countless tragic deaths.

Why Jurors Should Refuse to Convict Drug Arrestees

Posted on Dec 22, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Jurors are not required to enforce unjust laws, and can legally refuse to convict a person, even if he or she appears to be guilty.

9 Huge Blows to the Catastrophic War on Drugs -- Will We Have Sane Drug Policy Some Day?

Posted on Dec 2, 2011, Source: AlterNet

2011 has been a watershed year for the movement working to end our county’s disastrous war on drugs.

Drug Czar Says African Americans Are More Affected by the 'Drug Problem' -- Here's Why That's Propaganda

Posted on Nov 28, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Ignoring the disproportionate racial impact of drug law enforcement while focusing on the disproportionate racial impact of the drug problem is simply Orwellian.

Former Mexican President's Passionate Call to the US: Stop Bloodshed And Legalize Drugs

Posted on Oct 22, 2011, Source: AlterNet

In his call for the United States to accept - and change - reality, former Mexican President Vicente Fox pointed to the history of prohibition and shifting popular opinion.

Momentum Builds to End Failed Drug War: 1,000 to Attend Upcoming Conference

Posted on Oct 10, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Every day we see the horrors of the failed drug war. And while government is inactive, thousands are ready to consider alternatives and demand change.

What to Make of Sarah Palin's Alleged Cocaine Use

Posted on Sep 15, 2011, Source: AlterNet

It is time for voters to punish elected officials for supporting draconian laws that punish what they themselves have done.

Why We Need Honest Sex -- and Drug -- Education in Schools

Posted on Aug 10, 2011, Source: AlterNet

NYC's Mayor Bloomberg has made sex education mandatory, but we need the same thing for drugs -- let's stop pretending that teenagers won't take them.

Amy Winehouse: Reflections from Two Drug Policy Activists

Posted on Jul 26, 2011, Source: AlterNet

While speculation is rife about a possible drug overdose, it doesn't really matter. Winehouse was haunted with struggles none of us will understand.

Portugal Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary of Decriminalizing Drugs By Tony Newman

Posted on Jul 6, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Our 40 year war on drugs is proof of failure. Portugal is an example of an alternative. It is time for an exit strategy from our longest, costliest war!

4/20: Time to Have Fun – and to End Marijuana Prohibition!

Posted on Apr 19, 2011, Source: AlterNet

We Need YOU to Help End Marijuana Prohibition.

Thousands in Mexico Take to Streets To Protest Drug War – We Need to Do the Same Here!

Posted on Apr 7, 2011, Source: AlterNet

This June will mark the 40th anniversary of the drug war -- let’s take inspiration from our brothers and sisters in Mexico, and demand an exit strategy from this unwinnable war.

Drug Users of the World Unite!

Posted on Mar 4, 2011, Source: AlterNet

America's longest running war is not in Afghanistan or Iraq. It's the 40-year war on drugs - and the war on drugs is a war on us.

The Good, the Bad and the Terrifying Proposals Out There to Curb America's Tobacco Smoking

Posted on Mar 1, 2011, Source: AlterNet

We should celebrate our success curbing cigarette smoking and continue to encourage people to cut back or give up cigarettes, but let's not get carried away.

Clip from Family Feud Is an Instant Pot Humor Classic: "What Is Something People Pass Around?"

Posted on Feb 7, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A hilarious and strong indicator for how mainstream marijuana use has become in American society.

Reagan Turning 100: Fawning Media Ignore His Disastrous 'War on Drugs'

Posted on Jan 24, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Ronald Reagan's harsh drug policies not only exploded the prison population, he also blocked programs that could have prevented hundreds of thousands of AIDS deaths.

Will Cigarettes Be Made Illegal in the Near Future?

Posted on Jan 19, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The battle over cigarettes is heating up -- and the momentum to criminalize tobacco smoking continues to build in the United States and around the world.

GOP Leaders Speak Out for Prison Reform: First Rev. Pat Robertson and Now Newt Gingrich

Posted on Jan 7, 2011, Source: AlterNet

At a time when Democrats and Republicans are having a difficult time agreeing on anything, let's hope that we can come together to help end America's longest, unwinnable war.

Reading Charlotte's Web as a Parent and an Activist

Posted on Dec 30, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Charlotte realized that the only way to save Wilbur's life was to make people care about Wilbur. If someone is nameless, we can treat them in the worst ways.

Top 8 Drug Stories of 2010: Momentum Is Building to End the Failed Drug War

Posted on Dec 22, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The debate around failed marijuana prohibition and the larger drug war arrived in a big way in 2010. Here are some of the most significant stories of the year.

Nice People Use Drugs

Posted on Dec 7, 2010, Source: AlterNet

New campaign pushes for an honest discussion of and approach to drug use in our society.

AP's Excellent Drug War Coverage: Cartel Arrests Don't Stop the Drug Trade -- But They Do Increase Violence

Posted on Dec 1, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The AP is doing crack reporting in its 'impact series' on the drug war; the latest report questions how effective drug busts on cartels really are.

HBO's Boardwalk Empire Helps Us Understand Drug Prohibition

Posted on Sep 30, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The California initiative, the growing drug policy reform movement, and shows like Boardwalk Empire are helping us reach a tipping point.

Pop Quiz: How Much Do You Really Know About Drugs and the Drug War?

Posted on Sep 8, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Here is your chance to test your knowledge and find out how much you know about drugs and drug policy.

California's Marijuana Legalization Initiative is Already a Winner

Posted on Aug 23, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Ten weeks from Election Day, it’s clear how much Prop. 19 has already accomplished for the drug policy reform movement.

5 Great Anti-Drug War Videos

Posted on Aug 6, 2010, Source: AlterNet

A cartoon can be worth a thousand words -- or even a book.

I'm Not Pro-Drugs - I'm Pro-Life and Pro-Choice

Posted on Jul 19, 2010, Source: AlterNet

We have to learn how to live with drugs - because they aren't going anywhere. People have used drugs for thousands of years and will use them for thousands of more.

Conservative Hollywood Website and Bill O' Reilly in Freakout Mode Over Sting and George Soros' Crusade Against the Drug War

Posted on Jun 10, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Andrew Breitbart's popular right-wing website is on the unpopular side of the battle of ideas over the war on drugs.

All of Us Use Drugs, But Only Some of Us Go to Jail

Posted on May 22, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Despite a $40 billion a year "war on drugs," our country is swimming in them. They aren't going anywhere.

Dismantling the 5 Big Talking Points of Marijuana Prohibitionists

Posted on Apr 23, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Opposition to this reform has crystallized within the drug war establishment, and so has their spin.

Bloodbath in Mexico: Drug Prohibition Is to Blame for Thousands of Mexican and Now American Deaths

Posted on Mar 15, 2010, Source: AlterNet

There is war in our backyard that can match the violence anywhere in the world, and that is the Drug War in Mexico.

The GOP Should Look in the Mirror When Talking About Obama's Drug Use

Posted on Feb 19, 2010, Source: AlterNet

What about Dubya's alleged cocaine consumption as a younger man? Or Rush Limbaugh's painkiller addiction?

NYC Police Accused of 'Anal Assault' Over Marijuana Use

Posted on Jan 26, 2010, Source: AlterNet

New York City police have arrested over 300,000 people for low-level marijuana possession since 1997, sometimes employing outrageous methods to humiliate citizens.

10 Signs the Failed Drug War Is Finally Ending

Posted on Dec 4, 2009, Source: AlterNet

2009 will go down as the beginning of the end of America's longest running war. Here's 10 reasons why.

President Obama And Gov. Paterson Get Love For Recent Drug Policy Reforms

Posted on Oct 24, 2009, Source: AlterNet

We are obviously a long way from elected officials being honest and principled when it comes to dismantling the disastrous drug war. But the tides seem to be turning.

Marijuana in America: More Mainstream Than Ever, More Arrests Than Ever

Posted on Sep 30, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Marijuana's coming-out party is kicking into high gear across America -- but way to many people still are getting cuffed for it.

Why a Ban on Flavored Cigarettes and Outdoor Smoking Will Backfire

Posted on Sep 25, 2009, Source: AlterNet

We should celebrate our success curbing cigarette smoking but let's not get carried away and think that criminalizing smoking is the answer.

Drug Use by Political Candidates Isn't a Deal Breaker, But Hypocrisy on the Issue Should Be

Posted on Sep 5, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Now that the climate for political candidates has eased on personal drug use, we should focus on punishing elected officials who still believe in the drug war.

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