COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of October 25, 2019

COP on the Hill

Stories from the week of October 25, 2019

Cheese, Chocolate and Heroin Treatment: On the 27th of Sept I met with Catherine Ritter and her assistant at a café in Bern, Switzerland. After catching up (we met in Geneva 3 years ago), she gave me some of the latest literature (in English), answered my several questions and most importantly, confirmed the Swiss govt is still ready to come to the Congress and explain their program for heroin addiction treatment.

Good and Bad – Catherine said from time to time the legislature wonders why they are spending money on heroin treatment, when there hasn’t been a “problem” in so long. She has to remind them of how big the problem was before the implementation of HAT (Heroin Assisted Treatment)

A week later I had lunch in Bern with Dr. Christoph Bürki, former director of the Bern heroin clinic and my professional friend now for 19 years. Still specializing in treatment, now in private practice, he shared the latest in on- the- ground info on treating heroin addiction. He shared his experience as a brand new doctor in the 90s in Zurich and having addicts he was trying to help, dying weekly.

Last, I had a coffee with a now retired police officer in Lausanne. He and most of his colleagues were opposed to opening an HAT clinic in his city. After it had been open a year, and the crime had dropped dramatically (60%), he and others reluctantly came around. He said the police dept resistance is now almost zero.

Note: total expenses for the three meetings to COP budget: just under 200 dollars

Personal: Gas tank is full and I’ll be at work this coming week.

This week’s stats:
03 Meetings –

COP stats since inception: August 2009

3252 Presentations to Congressional staffers… this week
379 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. this week
313 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 0 this week (CMan Trone, D-MD)
85 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
164 interviews and reports in minor media = 0 this week
102 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 This week
Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribute, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters
31 major conferences attended – (UN drug conference, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 0 this week
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
84 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000) 0 this week
43 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
* Consider being a member of COP at $40.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 40 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal drug prohibition. COP provides that voice. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org