First Global Conference on Methamphetamine to Feature 80 Speakers from 16 Countries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 13, 2008

Contact: Luciano Colonna, Chair, Executive Program Committee

First Global Conference on Methamphetamine to Feature 80 Speakers from 16 Countries
Full Program Agenda Available for Conference September 15-16, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, August 11 -- The Global Conference On Methamphetamine today announced the program for the 2008 Global Conference on Methamphetamine. The conference will take place September 15-16, 2008, in Prague, Czech Republic. The full conference program is available online here.

The program committee has created an exciting program full of new and cutting-edge topics that is relevant and engaging for the international community. The two-day conference will feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Louisa Degenhardt, of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. The conference includes two days of presentations, panels and discussions. There will also be methamphetamine laboratory displays and demonstrations.

This following is just a small sample of the presentations that will be given at GCM 2008. Ivan Langer, Minster of the Interior of the Czech Republic, will speak on the Intersection of Policy and Research; Jeremy Douglas and Matthew Nice of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will present UNODC's 2008 Global Amphetamine Type Stimulant Situation Assessment; Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance will present The Questions That Never -- Or Almost Never -- Get Asked About Methamphetamine; with Mike Sabin of New Zealand's MethCon Group countering with his presentation Don't Throw The Baby Out With the Bath Water. Also featured will be Network Environmental Systems' Methamphetamine Laboratory Display & Presentation. For the full program, visit the Global Conference on Methamphetamine web site at http://www.globalmethconference.com online.

Highlights of the Conference:

New Methamphetamine Epidemic in Thailand
Apinun Aramrattana, Research Institute of Health Sciences at Chiang Mai University

Methamphetamine Abuse in China
Lin Lu, Director, National Institute on Drug Dependence at Peking University

The Methamphetamine Epidemic in the US: Speed, Crank, Crystal, Ice and Tina and the Public Health Consequences
Richard Rawson, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs

Methamphetamine: Clandestine Laboratory Update
Robert Pennal, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, California Department of Justice

Dramatic Increase in Methamphetamine Related Drug Treatment Admissions in Cape Town
Andreas Plüddemann, South African Medical Research Council

A Global Overview of Youth Methamphetamine Use: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Headed?
Caitlin Padgett, Youth R.I.S.E.

Social Aspects of Methamphetamine Injection in Russia
Olga Borodkina, St. Petersburg State University

Safety First: Prevention Education For Methamphetamine and Other Drugs
Marsha Rosenbaum, Drug Policy Alliance

Amphetamine Type Stimulant Injection in the Republic of Georgia
David Otiashvili, Addiction Research Center, Union Alternative Georgia

Methamphetamine in the Czech Republic: EU Pervitin Deviance or Laboratory of EU Drug Future?
Tomáš Zábranský, Center for Addictology, Charles University in Prague,

Speaking to Be Heard: Outreach to Gay Men in San Francisco Who Do Meth
Michael Siever, The Stonewall Project, SF AIDS Foundation

Quite a Lot of Smoke But Very Limited Fire -- The Use of Methamphetamine in the European Union
Danica Klempova1 & Chloe Carpentier, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction

According to estimates by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organization (WHO): More individuals worldwide now use stimulants than opiates and cocaine combined. Methamphetamine is the most widely used illicit drug in the world except for cannabis. Over 26 million individuals used amphetamine-type stimulants in 2007.

Established trends show methamphetamine use to be widespread in North American, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand; while India, Pakistan, Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Europe represent emerging markets or areas of perceived risk. 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 methamphetamine use patterns vary widely, and 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.

FOR MEDIA: The major sessions of the conference are open to reporters. Site visits, photo opportunities and interviews can be arranged. For journalists not traveling to Prague, interviews and briefings with key spokespeople and presenters can be arranged on request.

Sponsors and Partners include: The Czech Republic, Charles University, City of Prague, Network Environmental Systems, Marathon Oil Company, Podane Ruce, Cranstoun Drug Services, Sananim, Institute Scan, and The Thorne Group.

First Global Conference On Methamphetamine: Science, Strategy, and Response

Featured Speakers Conference Schedule

Major & Concurrent Sessions

www.globalmethconference.com

The Czech Republic, Charles University, the City of Prague, Network Environmental Systems, Podane Ruce, Cranstoun Drug Services, Sananim, the Harm Reduction Coalition, and The Thorne Group, are honored to co-sponsor the First Global Conference on Methamphetamine: Science, Strategy and Response.

On September 15th and 16th of this year experts from the fields of science, public health, criminal justice, government, and civil society, will come together at the First Global Conference On Methamphetamine in the historic city of Prague to discuss a wide range of topics centering around Methamphetamine The conference has been organized in response to an emerging consensus among experts that methamphetamine use is a complex problem that presents a significant challenge to existing philosophies and strategies.

While local and national communities are under siege by a perceived methamphetamine epidemic rush to pursue solutions, many facets of the problem remain to be discovered, examined, debated, illuminated and verified. It is in this spirit of discovery, discussion, and cooperation that we are convening this summit. As the first event to gather global experts from varied fields, with diverse and even sometimes divergent perspectives, the conference is assured to be an unparalleled event.

The conference will take place in Prague's City Hall, with speakers and delegates attending from more than 20 nations. Delegates will have access to over fifty panel, breakout, and plenary sessions - and the unique opportunity to interact with local, national, and international organizations, researchers, providers, scientists, and professionals. Early registration is now open - visit www.globalmethconference.com to sign up for the reduced rate!

Major and Concurrent Sessions (More Coming!)

The Link Between Abuse and Dependence and the Onset of Schizophrenia • Spreading Like Wildfire: ‘Tik’ Use in the Western Cape of South Africa • Social Marketing to Injection Drug Users • Trade Awareness of Illicit Sourcing of Chemicals Required for Production • Law Enforcement: Through the Barriers • Use Among Opiate Abusers in Iran • Use among Black Men who have Sex with Men • Personal Values and Meaning in Use Among HIV-Positive MSM • Voter-Approved Treatment through the Criminal Justice System • Methamphetamine Use in China • Biopyschosocial Aspects of Use Among Gay and Bisexual Men • Novel Interventions for Reducing Risk Among Out-of-Treatment Users • High Risk Behavior and Avoidance-based Coping Among HIV+ MSM • Sexuality and Mental Health Concerns Among Gay Men Who Use in Vancouver • The Matrix Model for the Treatment of Dependence • See Through it - Marketing Education to the Club World • Quite a Lot of Smoke But Very Limited Fire - The Use of Methamphetamine in the European Union • A Brief History of Methamphetamine in the United States • Hypogonadism and Use Among HIV-Positive Men • Therapeutic Communities in Czech Republic • Use In Central & Eastern Europe: How Recent Social History Shaped Current Drug Consumption Patterns • Youth and Ya Ba Use in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand • Use Among Youth in Inner City Winnipeg •Methamphetamine, Meth Labs, and Drug Endangered Children • Use Among Queer Street Involved Youth In Vancouver • Use During Pregnancy: Where Did the Current Surge in Treatment Admissions Come From? • Working with Users in an Urban Setting • Unveiling the Needs of Women Who Use: Female IDUS in Indonesia • Providing Integrative Services to Users: The Ukrainian Experience • Use Among Patients of Buprenorphine Maintenance Programs • Injection and HIV Risk in Ukraine • Rocking Amphetamines in "Free" Serbia • Pharmacological Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction •Exploring the Efficacy of Matrix Treatment in Tehran • The Czech Republic: EU Pervitin Deviance or Laboratory of EU Drug Future? • Safety First: Prevention Education • Use and Networks of Drug Injectors in St. Petersburg • Drug Choice and HIV Risk Among IDUs in St. Petersburg • Brief Motivational Interventions • Exploring Intimacy, Sexuality, and Identity •"Aquí Empieza la Patria" ("Here the Homeland Begins") • Patterns of Methamphetamine Use: Outcomes from a Randomized Trial of Behavioral Interventions for MSM • Relationship Between Use, Other Drugs, and Sexual Effects •Dependence and HIV Risk Behavior • Hepatitis A, B, and C Virus Infection among Users in Outpatient Treatment • Use Among Treatment Seeking Youth: An Emerging Problem? • Russian Narcologoical Treatment Crisis • Meth Free Alliance’s Neighborhood Intervention Project • Meth Lab Eradication Through Effective Control of Pseudo/ephedrine •Methamphetamine Use and Property Offending and Drug Dealing in New Zealand • Social Cognition, Executive Function and Use • Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Methamphetamine • Ibogaine vs Methamphetamine • The relationship Between Use and Violence: An Expression of the Self? • Consumption and Expenditure: A Cultural Analysis of Methamphetamine • Dramatic Increase in Treatment Admissions in Cape Town, South Africa • Regional Updates

Featured Speakers (More Will Be Announced!)

Our Keynote Speaker: Louisa Degenhardt, Professor of Epidemiology, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of NSW, Sydney

Special Guest Speaker: Ivan Langer, Minister of Interior of the Czech Republic

Apinun Aramrattana, MD, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai • Kat Coric, Artist and Public Health Advocate, President of Art and Ideas, Montreal • Jeremy Douglas. Manager, Global SMART Program, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna • David B. Durst, Senior Vice President, Network Environmental Systems, Sacramento • James Gates, Captain, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Services, Halifax • Carl Hart, PhD, Professor, Neuroscience Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York • Perry Halkitis PhD, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior & Prevention Studies, New York University, New York • Danica Klempova, Drug Situation Analyst, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon • Evgeny Krupitsky, MD, PhD, Prof., Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological Institute, St. Petersburg • Kevin S. Irwin, Research Associate, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven • Prof. Lin Lu, MD, PhD, Director, National Institute of Drugs and Development, Beijing • Sonny Leeper, President, Law Enforcement Training Institute of New Mexico, Albuquerque • Joseph Loenig, MCJ, Senior Special Agent, South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, DEA Task Force, Florence • Stephanie Lovett, Compliance Director, Chemical Compliance International, Birmingham • Amy Mifflin Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Marathon Oil Company, Houston • Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, MSW, Director, Open Society's Institute's Global Drug Policy Program, Warsaw • David C. Marsh, MD, Physician Leader, Addiction Medicine, Vancouver Costal Health and Providence Health Care, Vancouver • Ethan Nadelmann, JD, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance, New York • Caitlin Padgett, Coordinator and Founder of Youth R.I.S.E., Vancouver • Robert Pennal, Special Agent Supervisor, CA Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, Fresno • Andreas Plüddemann, Senior Scientist, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit Medical, Cape Town • Richard Rawson, PhD, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Los Angeles • Michael Siever, PhD, Director of The Stonewall Project, San Francisco • Pavlo Smyrnov, MPH. Deputy Executive Director, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Kiev • Nicholas Thomson, MPH, PhDField Director, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai • Alex Wodak, MD, Director, Alcohol and Drug Services Vincent's Hospital, Sydney • Chris Wilkins, PhD, Senior Researcher & Drugs Team Leader at SHORE/Whariki, Massey University, Auckland • Gady Zabicky, MD, Centro Nacional para la Prevención y Control del VIH/SIDA, Mexico City • Tomas Zabransky, MD, PhD, R and D Manager, Centre for Addictology, Charles University

Conference Schedule

Sunday Evening, September 14, 2008

7:30 - 10: 00 p.m. Welcoming Reception

Zlatá Praha Restaurant ~ The Rooftop Terrace

of the InterContinental Hotel Praha (Main Conference Hotel)

~

Monday, September 15, 2008

9:00–10:30 a.m. Opening Ceremony

11:00–12:30 p.m. Opening Plenary

12:30–13:30 p.m. Lunch (provided)

13:30–15:00 p.m. Major & Concurrent Sessions

15:30–17:00 p.m. Major & Concurrent Sessions

17:00–18:30 p.m. Major Session

Monday Evening

7:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Mayor's Gala Event

Lord Mayor Residence

~

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

8:30–10:00 a.m. Major Session

10:30–12:00 p.m. Major & Concurrent Sessions

12:00–13:00 p.m. Lunch (provided)

13:00–14:30 p.m. Major & Concurrent Sessions

15:00–16:30 p.m. Major & Concurrent Sessions

16:45–17:30 p.m. Closing Ceremony

For details on registration, hotel accommodations and the wonderful city of Prague - please visit: www.globalmethconference.com

If you need any additional information or support, please do not hesitate to contact the Conference Organizer at: wt@theproductionagency.com

If you are interested in submitting a late breaking abstract, contact Luciano Colonna, Executive Program Committee Chair, at: luciano.colonna@globalmeth.com

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2008 Global Conference On Methamphetamine
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Luciano Colonna
Chair, Executive Program Committee
+00 (1) 801 635 7736 (USA / MTD, HAR; UTC – 6 hours)
luciano.colonna@globalmeth.com
`

FIRST GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON METHAMPHETAMINE TO CONVENE IN PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, ON SEPTEMBER 15-16, 2008

Experts in Science, Public Health, Government, Drug Policy, Treatment, Prevention, Law Enforcement, and the Private Sector Will Meet to Examine the Intersection between Methamphetamine, Public Health, Law Enforcement, and Civil Society.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, June ४ As the use of methamphetamine and other amphetamine-type stimulants proliferates across the globe, there is an emerging consensus among experts that methamphetamine use is a unique and complex problem that presents a significant challenge to existing philosophies and strategies. The First Global Conference on Methamphetamine will provide an arena for the world’s foremost scientists, leaders and professionals working on issues of drug use to come together to discuss a wide variety of topics centering around methamphetamine. The Conference will take place in Prague’s Historic City Hall on September 15 – 16 (Monday & Tuesday), 2008.

As the first event to gather global experts from a wide diversity of fields, the conference is assured to be an unparalleled event. Confirmed speakers from USA, China, Australia, Thailand, Russia, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, New Zealand, Indonesia, Poland, Iran, Serbia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Great Britain and the United Nations will address the conference theme of “Science, Strategy and Response.” Representatives from international agencies, civil society, academia, science, law enforcement and others will have the unique opportunity to discuss key issues including: Treatment, HIV, Trafficking, Production, Environmental Impact, Law Enforcement, Policy, Current Research, Regional Updates, and Innovative Global Approaches.

According to estimates by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organization (WHO): More individuals worldwide now use stimulants than opiates and cocaine combined. Methamphetamine is the most widely used illicit drug in the world except for cannabis. Over 26 million individuals used amphetamine-type stimulants in 2006.

Established trends show methamphetamine use to be widespread in North American, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand; while India, Pakistan, Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation Sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe represent emerging markets or areas of perceived risk. 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 methamphetamine use patterns vary widely, and 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.



Featured Speakers Will Include:

• Apinun Aramrattana, MD, PhD, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai

• Jeremy Douglas. Manager, Global SMART Program, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna

• Ahmed Elkashef, M.D. Division of Pharmacotherapies & Medical Consequences, NIDA, Washington, D.C.

• Carl Hart, PhD, Professor, Neuroscience Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York

• Evgeny Krupitsky, MD, PhD, Prof., Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological Institute, St. Petersburg

• Prof. Lin Lu, MD, PhD, Director, National Institute of Drugs and Development, Beijing

• Donald Rothenbaum, Senior Vice President, Network Environmental Systems, San Diego

• Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, MSW, Director, Open Society's Institute's Global Drug Policy Program, Warsaw

• Azarakhsh Mokri, MD, Iranian Nation Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran

• Ethan Nadelmann, JD, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance, New York

• Caitlin Padgett, Coordinator and Founder of Youth R.I.S.E., Vancouver

• Andreas Plüddemann, Senior Scientist, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit Medical, Cape Town

• Richard Rawson, PhD, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Los Angeles

• Michael Siever, PhD, Director of The Stonewall Project, San Francisco

• Pavlo Smyrnov, MPH., Deputy Executive Director, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Kiev

• Alex Wodak, MD, Director, Alcohol and Drug Services Vincent's Hospital, Sydney

• Chris Wilkins, PhD, Senior Researcher & Drugs Team Leader at SHORE/Whariki, Massey University, Auckland

• Gady Zabicky, MD, Centro Nacional para la Prevención y Control del VIH/SIDA, Mexico City

• Tomas Zabransky, MD, PhD, R and D Manager, Centre for Addictology, Charles University, Prague

FOR MEDIA: The major sessions of the conference are open to reporters. Site visits, photo opportunities and interviews can be arranged. For journalists not traveling to Prague, interviews and briefings with key spokespeople and presenters can be arranged on request.

Sponsors and Partners include: The Czech Republic, Charles University, the City of Prague, Network Environmental Systems, Podane Ruce, Cranstoun Drug Services, Sananim, Institute Scan, Systems, Inc, and The Thorne Group.
Website: www.globalmethconference.com

Contact: Luciano Colonna Chair, Executive Program Committee - 2008 Global Conference On Methamphetamine +00 (1) 801 635 7736 (USA); luciano.colonna@globalmeth.com


###

Global Conference on Methamphetamine Speaker & Program Update

Prague, Czech Republic 15th – 16th September 2008

The 1st global conference on methamphetamine has been organized in response to an emerging consensus among experts that methamphetamine use is a complex problem that presents a significant challenge to existing philosophies and strategies. While local and national communities are under siege by a perceived methamphetamine epidemic rush to pursue solutions, many facets of the problem remain to be discovered, examined, debated, illuminated and verified.

It is in this spirit of discovery, discussion, and cooperation that this conference is being convened. As the first event to gather global experts from varied fields, with diverse and even sometimes divergent perspectives, the conference is assured to be an unparalleled event!

Early registration for the 2008 global conference on methamphetamine is now open! Delegates are encouraged to register before June 1st, 2008 to qualify for the reduced pre-conference rate!

For more information, including details on registration, submitting abstracts, hotel and travel, visit: www.globalmethconference.com

Major and Concurrent Session Topics

Regional Updates / Pharmacology / Enforcement Programs / Clandestine Drug Cleanup / The Matrix Model of Treatment / Women and Methamphetamine / Latest Research /Health Consequences / Policy / Prosecution Issues / Trafficking / Toxicology / Innovative Interventions / Replacement Therapies / Prevention and Education / Hepatitis A, B, & C Virus / HIV Risk Behavior / Methamphetamine and Reproductive Health / Treatment / Youth and Use / Patterns of Use / Harm Reduction / innovative Interventions / Use Among MSM / Trafficking / Community-based Coalitions / Injection Drug Use / Epidemiology

Featured Speakers to include:

Dr. Richard Rawson, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Los Angeles
Dr. Alex Wodak, MD Director, Alcohol and Drug Services Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
Dr. Carl Hart, Professor, Neuroscience Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York
Andreas Plüddemann, Senior Scientist, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit Medical, Cape Town
Prof. Lin Lu, MD, PhD Director of National Institute of Drugs and Development, Beijing
Dr Apinun Aramrattana, MD, PhD Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai
Donald Rothenbaum, Senior Vice President, Network Environmental Systems, San Diego
Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Director, Open Society's Institute's Global Drug Policy Program, Warsaw
Prof. Evgeny Krupitsky, MD, PhD St. Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological Institute, St. Petersburg
Dr. Tomas Zabransky, MD, PhD Manager Centre for Addictology, Charles University, Prague
Dr. Michael Siever, Director, The Stonewall Project, San Francisco
Caitlin Padgett, Coordinator and Founder of Youth R.I.S.E., Vancouver
Dr. Gady Zabicky, MD Centro Nacional para la Prevención y Control del VIH/SIDA (CENSIDA), Mexico City

Abstract Submission Deadline ENDS April 22nd, 2008

Abstract Submission Deadline ENDS April 22nd, 2008

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Topics and areas to be discussed include

Regional Updates / Pharmacology / Enforcement Programs / Clandestine Drug Cleanup / The Matrix Model of Treatment / Women and Methamphetamine / Latest Research /Health Consequences / Policy / Prosecution Issues / Trafficking / Toxicology / Innovative Interventions / Replacement Therapies / Prevention and Education / Hepatitis A, B, & C Virus / HIV Risk Behavior / Methamphetamine and Reproductive Health / Treatment / Youth and Use / Patterns of Use / Harm Reduction / innovative Interventions / Use Among MSM / Trafficking / Community-based Coalitions / Injection Drug Use / Epidemiology

1) Individual proposals for presentations are welcome.

2) Presentation formats may include

Individual papers
· Reports on research-in-progress

· Round-table discussions

· Topic-centred workshops

· Or a format more appropriate to your own work.

- Please indicate your presentation format in your proposal.
- Please make sure that your proposal identifies the language you wish to present in.

3) Please send a 250-word proposal - along with a short bio - to the email address below.

- Your abstract should not contain more than 250 words
- No abstract will be accepted without a short bio.

Please send your abstract to abstracts@globalmethconference.com

The Deadline for abstract submissions is April 22, 2008
Speakers will be notified by May 2nd, 2008

On Submitting An Abstract

The 1st Global Conference on Methamphetamine will feature a range of plenary presentations, symposium sessions, panel discussions and social events. Topics and areas to be discussed include:

• Pharmacology /
• Research /
• Trafficking /
• Treatment /
• Policy /
• Mental Health /
• Global Markets /
• HIV /
• Hepatitis /
• Community Education /
• Women /
• Production /
• Epidemiology /
• Law Enforcement /
• Demand Reduction /
• Harm Reduction /
• Public Health /
• MSM /
• Sexual Risk /
• Environmental Issues /
• Commerce /
• Rapid Assessment /
• Youth /
• Replacement Therapy /
• Injection Drug Use /
• Prescribed Usage /
• Eastern Europe /
• Central Asia /
• Asia /
• Caribbean /
• Latin America /
• Oceania /
• North America /
• Western & Central Europe /
• Sub-Saharan Africa /

A preliminary programme will be posted here soon. Check back regularly for updated lists of speakers and other programme information.

Abstract submissions

Individual proposals for presentations to the 1st Global Conference on Methamphetamine: Science, Strategy, and Response are welcome.

Presentation formats may include individual papers, reports on research-in-progress, round-table discussions, topic-centred workshops, or a format more appropriate to your own work. Please indicate your presentation format in your proposal, and please make sure that your proposal identifies the languge you wish to present in.

Please send a 250-word proposal - along with a short bio - to the address below. Your abstract should not contain more than 250 words. No abstract will be accepted without a short bio.

Please send your abstract to abstracts@globalmethconference.com or fax to +44 (0) 208 994 1533.

Deadline for submissions is 22 April 2008. Speakers will be notified by 2 May 2008

Conference Venue

The conference will be held in the the beautiful New City Hall building, located in Mariánské Square. The Art Nouveau-style building is the seat of the Prague Municipal Authority and the highest body of the municipal legislature - the Prague City Assembly headed by the Mayor and the City Council.

1st Global Conference on Methamphetamine: Science, Strategy, and Response

Prague, September 15 – 16, 2008

Register for the 2008 Global Conference on Methamphetamine

The conference has been organized in response to an emerging consensus among experts that methamphetamine use is a complex problem that presents a significant challenge to existing philosophies and strategies. While local and national communities are under siege by a perceived methamphetamine epidemic rush to pursue solutions, many facets of the problem remain to be discovered, examined, debated, illuminated and verified.

It is in this spirit of discovery, discussion, and cooperation that we are convening this summit. As the first event to gather global experts from varied fields, with diverse and even sometimes divergent perspectives, the conference is assured to be an unparalleled event.

It is commonly agreed that methamphetamine is a dangerous drug whose use has negative consequences on both individuals and communities, and presents a substantial challenge to policymakers, law enforcement, and social service providers. It is important that our public resources be directed to deal with the problem on a number of fronts, including areas of research, prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and law enforcement.

However, emerging strategies must be carefully and thoughtfully developed and carried out in response to the actual needs of affected populations, based on evidence-based research rather than on hyperbole, the distortion of data, media-driven misperceptions, and the mischaracterization of the dangers of methamphetamine and its users. Reality based prevention and treatment, which have been shown not only to be possible, but to be effective, are vital components of any strategy to reduce the harms associated with methamphetamine use.

It is the hope and expectation of the conference organizers that a wide-ranging, scientifically rigorous, and creative conversation among diverse experts at the 2008 Global Methamphetamine Conference will create an energy and flow of ideas that will propel efforts to find practical responses to methamphetamine use issues.

Thank you for your interest in the 2008 Global Conference on Methamphetamine: Science, Strategy, and Response. It is a unique opportunity for those of us committed to dealing with these important issues to share a common platform and to unite in a conviction shared by all of us, no matter what our perspective or approach: that the cost of inaction is too high to bear. I hope to see you in Prague on September 15th and 16th of 2008.

Sincerely,

Luciano Colonna
Executive Program Committee Chair
2008 Global Conference on Methamphetamine: Science, Strategy, and Response