Gabriela (Gabby) Olivera, Uruguay, former NIDA Hubert H. Humphrey Drug Abuse Research Fellow, organized and hosted a drug policy forum in Montevideo, Uruguay, in May.
Ms. Olivera, whose work focuses on violence and other gender issues that influence women’s abuse of prescription drugs and alcohol, organized the program to bring researchers, policymakers, and experts together to discuss advances and challenges in drug policy. Thomas F. Babor, Ph.D., M.P.H., chaired a session on drug policy and the public good. He discussed multinational, interdisciplinary evidence-based drug policy designed to make scientific evidence relevant to policymakers and build the case for including public health as a priority in all drug policies.
The NIDA International Program supported travel for Dace Svikis, Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University, who discussed the rationale for designing specific gender programs and interventions, and effective treatment programs for women, pregnant women, and their children.
Ms. Olivera considers the Forum one step in the efforts to ensure continued collaborative international research involving the United States and Uruguay.
Participants at the May 2011 Forum, Advances and Challenges in Drug Policy and the Public Good in Montevideo, Uruguay.