Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) is a Washington-based non-profit political organization founded in 1998. According to SSDP's mission and value statements, the organization does not encourage or condemn drug use. Rather, by involving the American youth (the self proclaimed D.A.R.E generation) in the political process, they are committed to providing education on harms caused by the War on Drugs and promoting an open, honest, and rational discussion on alternative solutions to U.S. drug problems.
SSDP functions through chapters in U.S. high schools and colleges promoting student and teacher activism for sensible change in American attitudes towards drug abuse and drug policies. As of April 2005, there are over 115 chapters in the United States.
SSDP was founded around the issue of the drug provision in the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Act , which denies federal financial aid to students with drug convictions. Since then, the organization has expanded its scope to include other controversial elements of drug policy like drug testing and student privacy rights, promoting rehabilitation over incarceration, harm reduction, and addressing the lack of objective drug education and scientific research. Some chapters also focus on world drug issues like Plan Colombia.
SSDP's current Executive Director is Scarlett Swerdlow , formerly of the U.C. Berkeley SSDP chapter.
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