ALBUQUERQUE - Hundreds of advocates from around the country will converge on Civic Plaza on Thursday at 6:00PM for a candlelight vigil to commemorate and stand in solidarity with all those affected by the war on drugs, particularly individuals and family members of those currently and formerly incarcerated for drug charges.

The vigil takes place on the first night of the International Drug Policy Reform Conference, which will draw more than 1,000 leaders in international drug policy to Albuquerque from November 12-14. The conference is being organized by the Drug Policy Alliance and dozens of other reform organizations.

The candlelight vigil will feature local and national speakers working to promote drug policy reform, including New Mexico Representative Antonio Maestas (D-Albuquerque), as well as those personally affected by the war on drugs.

“With 1 in every 100 Americans behind bars, and almost 2 million people arrested in 2008 alone for drug offenses, it is long past time to look seriously at our nation’s failed war on drugs and demand real reform,” said Julie Roberts, policy coordinator with Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico. 

The special event will light up Civic Plaza with hundreds of luminarias and candles to honor the family members, loved ones and friends who have been casualties of our nation’s failed and misguided war on drugs.

The Drug Policy Alliance is the nation's leading organization working to end the war on drugs and promote new drug policies based on science, compassion, health and human rights. For more information on the conference and candlelight vigil visit: www.reformconference.org.

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 6:30pm
Location: Civic Plaza, Tijeras and 3rd Street, Albuquerque, NM

Speakers:
• Julie Roberts, policy coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico
• New Mexico Representative Antonio Maestas (D-Albuquerque)
• Nubia Legarda, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) – El Paso Chapter
• Tony Papa, artist, writer, advocate, Drug Policy Alliance
• Dorsey Nunn, co-founder, All of Us or None
• Ethan Nadelmann, executive director, Drug Policy Alliance
• Reverend Edwin Sanders, coordinator, Religious Leaders for a More Just and Compassionate Drug Policy