BBC
17 February 2016
Radio / Over 15 Minutes
Portugal
By decriminalizing drug possession, Portugal removed a barrier preventing addicts from reaching out for help. The country treats drug use as a public health concern, offering free rehabilitation services and a needle exchange program. Although social taboos persist, drug-related deaths and HIV infection rates are at all-time lows.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/an-antidote-to-overdose-in-time-to-save-lives
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
21 May 2014
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Naloxone could be the secret to curing New England's heroin consumption. Trying to expand access to the life-saving overdose antidote is the real obstacle.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/an-enlightened-exchange-in-iran
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
29 November 2010
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Two columns on how Iran averted a major AIDS epidemic through needle exchange programs; a conservative theocracy is successfully treating drug abuse as if it were Amsterdam.
http://blog.ted.com/crisis-text-line-nears-2-million-messages-answered
Kate Torgovnick May
TED Blog
6 May 2014
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Crisis Text Line provides counseling services via text, a medium with which teens are sometimes more comfortable. The approach complements the work of counselors and collects data for research purposes.
http://womensenews.org/story/military/150830/drugs-and-abusive-father-drove-her-military-life
Léa Bouchoucha
Women's eNews
31 August 2015
Text / 800-1500 Words
At least 25 percent of female veterans were sexually abused in childhood, making it more difficult to reenter civilian life. Volunteers of America runs a holistic housing program for homeless veterans in the U.S.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/drugs-risk-and-the-myth-of-the-evil-addict
Maia Szalavitz
The New York Times
27 September 2011
Text / 1500-3000 Words
While critics argue that Naloxone isn't safe for over-the-counter use, some cities have found success distributing Naloxone to community members to help save lives of addicts who overdose. Naloxone can be administered to help those overdosing survive and jump-start the withdrawal process.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/us/as-vermont-tackles-heroin-addiction-progress-is-measured-in-baby-steps.html
Katharine Seelye
The New York Times
26 February 2015
Text / 800-1500 Words
About 40 percent more people in the state are seeking treatment for addiction today than a year ago - but the number of deaths from heroin is going up. Local government is scrambling for both funding and awareness to combat the issue.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/for-drug-users-hope-in-a-swift-response
David Bornstein
The New York Times
8 January 2013
Text / 800-1500 Words
In Vermont, a judge and a family services organization created RapidReferal – a process which offers addicts treatment immediately and has lowered recidivism. Funded by Medicaid, the program has had demonstrable impact, namely, a decrease in recidivism.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/for-ex-prisoners-a-haven-away-from-the-streets
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
17 January 2011
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Newly released prisoners often return to crime from lack of effective re-introduction programs. The Fortune Society in New York is a group home which offers resources and positive peer pressure to the ex-prisoners as they start over.
http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/07/berlins-brand-new-rent-control-laws-are-already-working/398087
Feargus O'Sullivan
CityLab
9 July 2015
Text / Under 800 Words
To address the increasing unaffordability of housing in Berlin, the city introduced a new rent control law to prevent rates from exponential growth. The city has also outlawed vacation rentals in certain zones of the city and created a program that aims to have 30,000 new rental properties available over the next decade.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-simple-fix-for-drunken-driving-1439564251
Keith Humphreys
Wall Street Journal
14 August 2015
Text / 800-1500 Words
South Dakota’s “24/7 Sobriety” initiative breathalyzers tens of thousands of people every day in an effort to curb drunk driving. Rather than legislation that takes penalizes offenders by taking away their license, the state addresses the behavioral issue instead. In counties that use the “24/7 Sobriety,” they’ve seen a 12% decrease in repeat drunken-driving arrests.
Our issue area taxonomy was adapted from the PCS Taxonomy with definitions by the Foundation Center, which is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International License.
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Fondriest Environmental, David De Wit / Community Eye Health, Linda Steil / Herald Post, John Amis / UGA College of Ag & Environmental Sciences – OCCS, Andy B, Peter Garnhum, Thomas Hawk, 7ty9, Isriya Paireepairit, David Berger, UnLtd The Foundation For Social Entrepreneurs, Michael Dunne, Burak Kebapci, and Forrest Berkshire / U.S. Army Cadet Command public affairs
Photos are licensed under Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license, and are credited to the following photographers:
Ra'ed Qutena, 段 文慶, Fabio Campo, City Clock Magazine, Justin Norman, scarlatti2004, Gary Simmons, Kathryn McCallum, and Nearsoft Inc
Photos are licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons license / Desaturated from original, and are credited to the following photographers:
Burak Kebapci and SCY.
Photos are licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) and are credited to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Conference attendee listening to speaker, Jenifer Daniels / Colorstock getcolorstock.com.
Photo Credit: Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
Photo Credit: Sonia Narang