Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates “Legalize Drugs” at Kaufman Center, November 14th

On November 14th, Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) will continue its fall season with a debate on US drug policy, “Legalize Drugs.” It was 1971 when President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs." $2.5 trillion dollars later, drug use is half of what it was 30 years ago, and thousands of offenders are successfully diverted to treatment instead of jail. And yet, 22 million Americans-9% of the population-still uses illegal drugs, and with the highest incarceration rate in the world, we continue to fill our prisons with drug offenders. Decimated families and communities are left in the wake. Is it time to legalize drugs or is this a war that we're winning?

Paul Butler, professor at Georgetown University Law Center and former federal prosecutor, and Nick Gillespie, editor-in-chief of Reason.com/Reason.tv, will argue in support of the motion. Theodore Dalrymple, former prison doctor and now Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and Asa Hutchinson, former administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and current CEO of homeland security consulting firm Hutchinson Group, will argue against the motion.

Intelligence Squared U.S.'s fall season debates are streamed live on Fora.tv. Debates also air on more than 220 NPR stations nationwide and are televised nationally on the WORLD channel and in the New York area on PBS Channel Thirteen, WNET, WLIW, and NJTV.

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates “Legalize Drugs”

WHEN: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 / Reception 5:45-6:30 / Debate 6:45-8:30 PM

WHERE: Kaufman Center/129 W. 67th Street (bet. Broadway and Amsterdam)/New York, NY 10023

TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ID). To purchase, visit http://www.iq2us.org

The debate will take place in front of a live audience at Kaufman Center in New York City. Before the debate, audience members will vote on the motion; afterward, the audience votes again. The team that moves the most voters to its side will be the winning team in this provocative debate.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED DEBATES (IQ2US)

Named One of "Five Podcasts that Will Change the Way You Think" by Forbes, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in New York City in 2006 by Robert Rosenkranz, and has grown into an internationally syndicated series heard and watched by millions. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers including Paul Krugman, Karl Rove, Malcolm Gladwell, Alan Dershowitz, Peter Thiel and Arianna Huffington. Intelligence Squared U.S. has presented over 60 debates on a wide range of provocative topics including global warming, the financial crisis, the marketing of organic foods, and the death of mainstream media. ABC News correspondent John Donvan is the moderator, and the executive producer is Dana Wolfe.
 
For more information about Intelligence Squared U.S., please contact Andrea Bussell (abussell@shorefire.com), Rebecca Shapiro (rshapiro@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171.