Czech Republic to Host Historic First Global Conference on Metha...( Experts From the Fields of Scienc...),Health

Experts From the Fields of Science, Public Health, Criminal Justice, Government, and Civil Society, will Come Together to Discuss the Global Use

of Methamphetamine.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, July 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Czech Republic is hosting the First Global Conference on Methamphetamine (http://www.globalmethconference.com): Science, Strategy and Response, this September 15 - 16, 2008, at Prague's City Hall. Delegates from sixteen nations will have access to over fifty panel, breakout, and plenary sessions.

According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) amphetamine type stimulants are the most widely used illicit drug in the world except for cannabis, with more individuals now using stimulants than opiates and cocaine combined. Yet the development of appropriate and effective responses to stimulants lags. In most cases, treatment and prevention are inappropriately modeled on opiate and alcohol treatment, ignoring both the physical properties of the drug itself, and the fact that effective responses must be tailored to the unique needs of regions, cultures, and individual users. A lack of infrastructure, of funding, and of experts trained specifically in methamphetamine response compounds the problem.

As nations struggle to develop appropriate responses to methamphetamine, it is crucial that the most current scientific research, information, and best practices be available to those seeking to implement solutions. The primary goal of the First Global Conference on Methamphetamine is to provide a context for this important work to take place.

The opening plenary session will feature Czech Minister of Interior, Ivan Langer, and keynote speaker Dr. Louisa Degenhardt, University of NSW, Sydney. Featured speakers include Jeremy Douglas (UNODC), Ethan Nadelmann (Drug Policy Alliance), Evgeny Krupitsky (St. Petersbur
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