Who I'd like to meet:

RELEASE is the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law – providing free and confidential specialist advice to the public and professionals. Release also campaigns for changes to UK drug policy to bring about a fairer and more compassionate legal framework to manage drug use in our society.

Release believes that the present regime for the regulation of drugs will be regarded by future generations as one of the great policy disasters of the modern period. These arrangements result in far too many abuses of human rights, fail to protect individual and public health, erode respect for the law, undermine democracy and generate corruption. The War on Drugs is in fact a recipe for a society at war with itself, and this is what we find when we examine the state of global drug control.

The present system of drug control is the result of a complex and contingent set of historical factors and policy decisions. At the 2008 meeting of the UN drug control apparatus in Vienna, Antonio Costa—the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and normally a staunch defender of the status quo—publicly admitted that the system was not ‘fit for purpose’.

Release’s vision is for a society in which the age-old human practice of using drugs is viewed as a part of the human condition. Rather than committing ourselves to the fantasy of a drug-free world—something that never has existed and never will—we should accept drugs as part of life, and educate and regulate to restrict their negative effects. Whether this happens through a reinterpretation and reconfiguration of the present structure, or requires a more radical overhauling of institutional and juridical arrangements, remains to be seen.

We campaign on a broad agenda for drug policy reform that includes:

• Greater investment in drugs education
• Fairer sentencing guidelines to prevent unnecessary incarceration of women
• Recognition that drug use is a personal choice and a civil right
• Recognition that the majority of drug use does not warrant interference from the state
• Increased access to support and health care services for problem drug users

We also campaign on specific issues which this year include:

• Hepatitis C – access to treatment for all
• Drug paraphernalia – legal distribution of all harm reduction equipment
• Drug mules – fairer sentencing guidelines
• Medical cannabis – access to drug for pain relief for a number of medical conditions

Do you think human rights apply to drug users?
Do you believe that a better system for managing drugs and drug use could be found?
Do you want the laws to change in this country?
Do you want to be kept informed about all issues relating to drugs?

If your answer to these questions is ‘YES’ then you should JOIN RELEASE.

If you would prefer not to become a member of Release, but would like to support our important work, please make a DONATION now.

As a charity, Release relies on grants and donations to continue its vital work and needs your support. If you have any queries about the membership packages on offer, please contact us...

CONTACT:
Release
388 Old Street
LONDON EC1V 9LT

Helpline: 0845 4500 215
Administration: 020 7749 4044
EMAIL: ask@release.org.uk

Sebastian Saville - Executive Director

Niamh Eastwood - Head of Legal Services
Amean Elgadhy
Kirstie Douse
Geni Horwood
Lorna MacFarlane

VOLUNTEER LEGAL ADVISORS:
Kwaku Avornyo
Jessica Bass
Amy Goodall
Fardus Ibrahim
Ildiko Lenarthova
Jasmine Sidhu
Adrian Smith

Gary Sutton - Head of Drugs Services
Colin Stewart

VOLUNTEER DRUGS ADVISORS:
Jason Clarke
Matt McNamee
Gary Orange

Claudia Rubin - Head of Policy and Communications
Chris Hallam - Researcher

Keith Edwards - Administrator

Rupert George - Theory & Application

Ronnie Hooberman Chair
Toby Faber
Dr Christine Ford
Lucy French
James Hardy
Anthony Hyams - Treasurer
Andrew MacDonald

Amongst the many, past and present, who have helped Release over the years our thanks go to:

Timmy Abassi • Steve Abrams • Desiree Abul Malik • Richard Adams • Douglas Adams • Don Aitken • Jonathan Aitken • Nicholas Albery • Simon Albury • Tariq Ali • Robert Allan • Martin Allen • Patrick Allen • Richard Allen • Tony Allen • Jim Anderson • Tony Andrews • The Anonymous Donor • Richard Anstey • Apple • Jeffrey Archer • Michael Armitage • Mike Ashton • Lord Avebury • Prof. AJ Ayer •

David Bailey • Tony Banks MP • Desmond Banks • Edward Barker • Ray Barnet • Ann Marie Barton • Sam Baxter • Beamish • Philip Bean • Dale Becket • Barbara Beeze • Tony Bennet • Monty Berman • Sallie Berriff • Lord Beaaumont • Rev. Eric Blakebrough • Chris Blackwell • Richard H Blum • Graham Bond • Sir Herman Bondi • Compendium Books • Derek Boshier • Joe Boyd • Billy Bragg • Richard Branson • Peter Brook • ROBERT MARK BROUDIE • Arthur Brown • Sue Bryer • Pete Brynd • Yolande Burgin • Anthony Burton • Johnny Byrne •

David Caleb • Lord Campbell • Duncan Campbell • Sonny Campbell • Antonia Cannon • Alasdair Cant • Bernard Carnell • Simon Caro • Michael Cashman • Pratrap Chitnes • Julie Christie • Eric Clapton • Pam Clarke • Margie Clarke • Caroline Coon • Andy Cornwell • Piers Corbyn • Paul Crane • Francis Crick • Eric Crowther •

Jeremy D'Agapeyeff • Geni Day • Dr Pat Day • Bill Deedes • Melita Denaro • Dame Judi Dench • Felix Dennis • Jeff Dexter • David Dimbleby • Jonathan Dimbleby • Dave Dimmler • Keith Dolan • Megan Doolittle • Liz Dowell • Alison Downie • Nick Drury • Spooks Duckett • Ubi Dwyer • Chris Ealand • Maggie Eisner • Michael English • Brian Eno • Eric The Tramp • The Exodus Collective •

Jenny Fabian • Malcolm Fairburn • Tom Fawthrop • Vicky Fisher • Harry Fletcher • Pink Floyd • Rudi Fortson • James Fox • Wendy Freaker • Andy Friend • John Furniva • Tony Garnet • Tony Gifford QC • Stephen Gilchrist • Allen Ginsberg • Bill Godber • Jane Goodsir • Clive Goodwin • Tracy Granger • Jane Greening • Germaine Greer • Mike Grieve • Annie Grocott • Nicola Gunn • John Guy •

Andy Haines • Juli Hall • Richard Hamilton • Zach Harazi • Tony Harding • Richard Harkinson • Rufus Harris • Tim Harris • Lee Harris • George Harrison • Tony Hart • Hawkwind • Sarah Hart • Michael Hastings • Paul Hayes • Jimi Hendrix • Anthony Henman • Mel Henry • Lorraine Hewitt • Brian Hillard • David Hockney • Claire Hodges • John Hopkins • Michael Horowitz • Darcus Howe • David Howson • Dave Hucker • Dr Sam Hutt (aka Hank Wangford) • Marsha Hunt • Roger Hutchinson • Andrew Huxley • Brian Inglis • ISDD • IT •

Mick Jagger • Jennifer Janes • Jennifer Jenkins JP • Simon Jenkins • Sir Elton John • Jeb Johnson • Dr CRB Joyce • Dick Joyce • John Kaplan • Christine Keeler • Gary Kemp • Denise Kenny • Andy Kershaw • Thom Keyes • Michael King • Rosemary Kirkcaldy • Edward Klein • Ian Knight • Alexis Korner • Phil Kossoff • Herbert Kretzmer •

R.D. Laing • Fran Landersmann • Kevin Lawless • Jeff Lazarus • Father Ken Leach • Lizzie Leahy • Julian Lee • David Leigh • Rowley Leigh • John Lennon • Don Letts • Roger Lewis • Walter Lloyd • Allan Lodge • Louise London • Lord Longford • Victor Lowndes •

Frankie Macaulay • Sir Paul McCartney • Roger McGough • Scarlett McGwire • Soft Machine • Penny MacLucas • Tim Malyon • Mike Mansfield QC • Anne Marie Barton • Dr John Marks • Rita Marley • Anne Marshall • Keith Martin • John May • Keith Mayne • Lord Melchett • Eileen Meredith • Dr Jonathan Miller • Penny Mellor • David Mellor • Di Melly • George Melly • Paddy Melly • Walter Merricks • Middle Earth • Lorna Mikhelson • Barry Miles • Razi Mireskandari • Misty In Roots • Alexander Mitchell • Adrian Mitchell • Dr Martin Mitcheson • DS Geoff Monaghan • Clive Morrick • Joy Mott • Dennis Muirhead • Dr Anne Mully • George Mully • Bridget Murphy • Maggie Murphy-Ferris • Nell from Rocky Horror • Richard Neville • Chris Newell • Suzette Newman • Bob Nightingale • Gill Norman-Bruce • Christine Nossiter •

Hilarie O'Haolran • Donal O'Kelly • David Offenbach • Andrea Oliver • Ray Onofrie • Sonia Orwell • Oz Magazine • Anita Pallenberg • Carmela Palosci • John Peel • Gareth Peirce • Eileen Pembridge • Lyn Perry • Dom Phillips • Jim Phipps • Peter Plouviez • Harry Podlewski • Roman Polanski • Martin Polden • Mo Poole • Prince • Beth Prince • Partrick Procktor • The Prodigy • Andrew Puddephat • PC Frank Pulley • Push • Monty Python's Flying Circus •

Eda Rak • Brian Raymond • Mike Reid • Tara Rez • Tom Robinson • Kim Roser • Serens Rule • Ruth Runciman •

Pat Sampson • Jeremy Sandford • Lyne Sargeant • Dean Sargeant • James Saunders • Nicholas Saunders • Gerald Scarfe • Justin Schlicht • Michael Schofield • Anthony Scrivener QC • Bob Searchfield • Will Self • Harry Shapiro • David Shaw • Heather Shaw • Ian Sheratte • Bernie Simons • Roni Size • Arthur Smith • Tony Smythe • SOMA • Renegade Soundwave • Spooks • HB "Bing" Spear • Brian Spiro • Robert Spooner • Anne Stanesby • Lindi St Claire • Dennis Stayte • Sue Steward • Vicky Strangroome • Nina Stratford • John Swannell • Gay Switchboard • Rev Terry Tanner • Kevin Thompson • Di Took • Diane Torr • Mike Trace • Jeff Travis • Mary Treacy • Prof Arnold Trebach • Penelope Tree • Mike Tristram •

UFO • Freddie Venn • Tony Visconti • Gordon "Scripto" Venables •

WX

..Steve Warshal • Harold Weston • Lynn Wainwright • Brian Walden • Nigel Weymouth • Ben Whitaker • Clarrissa White • Michael White • Mark Wilkinson • Heathcote Williams • Roger Winfield • Wings • John Witton • Prof Richard Wolheim • Christian Wolmer • Jasper Woodcock • Annette Woods • Lady Wooton • Martin Wright • Robert Wyatt • Judge Charles Wyzanski •

Professor Jock Young • Murray Yugin • Prof Norman Zinberg •

and to the multitude more who were there when it mattered and know how much remains to be done,

Respect