TEN YEARS OF DRUGSENSE

DrugSense (www.drugsense.org), the world leader in online drug policy
research and reform, turns ten this year amid a flourish of kudos and awards.

Founded in November of 1995 by Director Mark Greer (who was later
joined by Webmaster and Senior Tech Support Specialist Matt Elrod),
the volunteer-driven organization has rapidly expanded from its
origin as an archive for drug policy related media to become a major
player in drug policy-related media activism, web hosting, and
grassroots organizing.

Following in the success of the Media Awareness Project (MAP)
(www.mapinc.org) - which archives over 150,000 news articles on drugs
and drug policy in searchable database used by researchers,
reporters, and reform organizers - DrugSense now hosts or provides
technical support for over 200 drug policy focused organizations all
over the world. Through its Focus Alerts initiative, DrugSense has
had over 20,000 Letters-to-the-Editor (LTEs) published worldwide,
representing over $20 million of advertising value in support of drug
policy reform.

Additionally, DrugSense staff have conducted over 250 radio and
television interviews to promote common sense and compassion in drug
policy, and trained dozens of local grassroots organizers and
activists to do the same. And for the last eight years, DrugSense has
published a weekly newsletter (http://www.drugsense.org/current.htm)
- - encapsulating major drug policy developments that now reaches over
30,000 readers a week.

In recognition of these many notable accomplishments, DrugSense was
recently awarded the Robert C. Randall Award for Achievement in the
Field of Citizen Action at the recent 2005 International Drug Policy
Reform Conference in Long Beach, California.
(http://www.drugsense.org/awards/randall.htm)

At the awards ceremony, Founder/Director Mark Greer illustrated the
importance of DrugSense to drug policy reform by asking members of
the audience who had used MAP or any other DrugSense services to
stand up, resulting in an impromptu standing ovation for the organization.

"Without such a dedicated group of volunteers and staff members and
the continued commitment of our funders, online drug policy research
and reform would still be in the stone-age," states Greer. "DrugSense
has brought Internet activism into the 21st Century, and with new
resources like the Community Audits and Initiatives Project
(http://www.drugsense.org/caip/), we look forward to ending the
ongoing abuses of prohibition and finally moving towards
evidence-based drug policy over our next 10 years of operation."

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, DrugSense is dedicated to
providing accurate information about drug policy. We heighten
awareness of the expensive, ineffective, and destructive "War on
Drugs." DrugSense informs the public about rational alternatives to
the drug war and helps citizens to take actions that encourage reform.

To help support the many services of DrugSense, please visit
http://www.drugsense.org/donate/