Volunteers from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia Drug-Free World Chapters came together to staff an information table at a recent Synthetic Drugs Symposium event held at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
The purpose of the event, Demanding More Vigilance: Synthetic Drugs in the DMV (DC, MD and VA), was to bring together federal and local behavioral health, medical, scientific, legislative, criminal justice, and education leaders to examine the current scope of synthetic drugs in the region, identify innovative approaches to the various issues related to synthetic drugs and to discuss viable, coordinated response strategies. Organizers and partners included agencies from all three jurisdictions: the D.C. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was the keynote speaker.
The Drug-Free World Presence
The Drug-Free World booth was the only information table at the event! There was a continuous stream of attendees visiting the table and taking The Truth About Drugs materials throughout the day-long event. We had five volunteers helping over the course of the day.
We distributed the following materials:
- Drug-Free World Information Kit – 100 were handed out
(click here for more info) - The Truth About Drugs Booklets – Over 1,100 booklets were handed out, including the new Synthetic Drugs booklet as well as the Alcohol, Marijuana, Heroin, and other booklets.
Needless to say we considered this a big success!
Federal Presenters
- Christine Kourtides, Senior Advisor, White House Office on National Drug Control Policy
- Special Agent John Scherbenske, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Assistant, Office of Diversion Control, DEA
- Clifford Keenen, Director, D.C. Pretrial Services
D.C. Presenters
- Karl Racine, Attorney General for the District of Columbia
- Dr. Tanya Royster, Director, D.C. Department of Behavioral Health
- Ken Donahue, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
- Dr. Roger Mitchell, Chief Medical Examiner, D.C.
Maryland Presenters
- Lt. Ronald Smith, Deputy Director, Special Investigations Division, Montgomery County Police Department
- Katherine Klausmeier, Maryland State Senator, District 8 (Baltimore County)
- Erin Artigiani, Deputy Director of Police, Univ. of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research
Volunteers welcome the representative from the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control Prevention to the booth
Virginia Presenters
- Lt. Quintin Kelly, Virginia State Police
- Victoria Cochran, Deputy Secretary of Virginia Public Safety and Homeland Security
- Linda Jackson, Director, Virginia Department of Forensic Science
