The Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform is delighted to announce our South-West event will be taking place in Bristol. The venue has the capacity for 120, so we recommend you reserve your free ticket here.
Your local Ambassador for this event is John Hirst who can be contacted on lcdpr.southwest@gmail.com
Emily Crick & Alex Wolfe-Warman are also Ambassadors for the surrounding area.
Secure your free ticket from the link below to secure attendance!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lcdpr-bristol-meeting-tickets-57667700645
** Chair ** - Labour MP for Bristol West - Thangam Debbonaire
**Opening Speech ** - Alex Wolfe-Warman
Alex will provide an insight into lived experience having previoulsy been a problematic substance user. Alex has vast experience of speaking around this topic having given many speeches over the last 11 years. Alex has campaigned with Anyone's Child and hosted drug policy events in Weston-Super-Mare .
**First speaker announcement ** - Neil Woods (LEAP)
The Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform is delighted to announce that Neil Woods will be part of our panel for the evening. Neil is a former undercover police officer who often spent his days posing as a drug user in order to infiltrate gangs. He is also the author of the captivating books 'Good Cop, Bad War' & 'Drug Wars', which document his insight into the drug underworld.
** Second speaker announcement ** - Jody Clark (DHI, Associate Director)
Jody's been working with people who use drugs for 16 years in a variety of roles inlcuding as an: Outreach Worker, Service Manager, & Commisioner. Jody is currentlly DHI's Associate Director (Clinical Lead). He has a strong interest in harm reduction policy and service provision, with particular focus on needle exchange and OST. Recently he was involed in Bristol becoming the first city to offer drug safety testing, led a study into feasiblility of drug consumption rooms and remains involved in discussions to make heroin assisted treament a reality in the UK.
** Third speaker announcement ** - Cara, Anyone's Child.
Cara will open proceedings with video in which she explains her belief that our current approach to drugs led to the death of her partner, Jake.
She says:
“I believe that if Jake’s drug use could’ve been treated as the medical use that it was, rather than the criminal issue that it wasn’t, he would still be alive today. Father, partner, brother, uncle, son, grandson, friend and colleague. The world is not a better place for the loss of Jake Coe.”
** Final Speaker announcement ** - Bristol CC
The final speaker will be a representative from Bristol CC. They will offer an insight into the work they do and provide something markedly different from the other speakers.