It was a Wednesday night in August, when journalism freshman Daniel Perle was excitedly looking for a club booth during Passport to Phoenix. That club was Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. At this booth, Daniel would find like-minded individuals who were just as passionate about reforming the way society handles drugs, drug addicts and the punishment for drug related crimes.
At the first SSDP meeting of the year on Aug. 26, Perle proposed starting a downtown chapter.
“I want to start another chapter because SSDP’s mission is something I support dearly… I feel like there’s a sizable amount of people here who also believe that the drug war has failed and want to do their part to end it here on the downtown campus,” Perle said.
The commute was another issue that arose when Daniel considered starting a downtown chapter. Many students are passionate about this cause, but the 30 minute commute from Phoenix to Tempe by light rail can prove to be too much for some, Perle said.
Since the start of the school year, the SSDP has met with Rep. Andrew Sherwood, D-Tempe. This goes hand-in-hand with the club’s goal to not just have conversations, but also incite change.
Perle said he also hopes to keep in close contact with public figures.
“This year I hope to get enough members to make a sizable chapter here on the downtown campus, try to host some events, maybe get some local politicians to come and speak, get representatives from harm reduction organizations to come,” Perle said.
Sociology major and president of the SSDP chapter in Tempe, Sarah Saucedo, wrote in an email that she feels very lucky that Perle is motivated to take on the task of starting a chapter in downtown.
“My family has a history of drug abuse and addiction," Saucedo wrote in an email. "I always felt like it was unfair that my loved ones could be so marginalized in American society because of drug addiction. ... I also saw friends and classmates have their academic careers foiled, their chances at success stamped out because of a drug conviction, primarily for marijuana offenses," she wrote.
CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this story incorrectly portrayed information about Sonoran prevention works. This version of the story has been updated with the correct information.
Related Links:
ASU students talk drug policy at the Capitol
Club to tackle harsh campus drug punishments
Reach the reporter at avcabral@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @angeligagaa
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