Drug Free America Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Drug Free America Foundation or DFAF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that currently describes itself as "committed to developing, promoting and sustaining global strategies, policies and laws that will reduce illegal drug use, drug addiction, drug-related injury and death." The organization has referred to harm reduction
efforts as "harm promotion", and characterized such efforts as "a tactic to normalize drug use".
Through most of its several divisions, the organization strongly advocates for greater criminalization of drug use and distribution.
. In 1976, Betty and Mel Sembler founded Straight, Incorporated
, a "coercive rehabilitation" program in the United States that produced hundreds of reports of abuse of adolescents and their families during its 15 years of existence. Straight was adapted from the controversial therapeutic community
programs Synanon
and The Seed.
efforts.
Some of the divisions of DFAF, as shown on the DFAF website, include:
Harm reduction
Harm reduction refers to a range of public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with recreational drug use and other high risk activities...
efforts as "harm promotion", and characterized such efforts as "a tactic to normalize drug use".
Through most of its several divisions, the organization strongly advocates for greater criminalization of drug use and distribution.
History and Origins
DFAF was founded by Betty Sembler, wife of shopping center developer and Ambassador Mel SemblerMel Sembler
Melvin Floyd Sembler is former United States Ambassador to Italy , and former Ambassador to Australia and Nauru . He has also served as Chairman of the Board of the Sembler Company, which develops and manages shopping centers, and co-founder of Straight, Inc., a controversial drug-treatment center...
. In 1976, Betty and Mel Sembler founded Straight, Incorporated
Straight, Incorporated
Straight, Incorporated was a non-profit drug rehabilitation program in the United States that existed from 1976 to 1993 and served clients ranging in age from 13 to 20...
, a "coercive rehabilitation" program in the United States that produced hundreds of reports of abuse of adolescents and their families during its 15 years of existence. Straight was adapted from the controversial therapeutic community
Therapeutic community
Therapeutic community is a term applied to a participative, group-based approach to long-term mental illness, personality disorders and drug addiction...
programs Synanon
Synanon
The Synanon organization, initially a drug rehabilitation program, was founded by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich, Sr., in 1958, in Santa Monica, California, United States...
and The Seed.
Notable Activism
The DFAF and its many divisions oppose ballot initiatives that would reduce criminal penalties on illegal possession of drugs or that would support harm reductionHarm reduction
Harm reduction refers to a range of public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with recreational drug use and other high risk activities...
efforts.
Some of the divisions of DFAF, as shown on the DFAF website, include:
- The Institute on Global Drug Policy,
- The International Scientific and Medical Forum on Drug Abuse,
- The Drug Prevention Network of the Americas (DPNA),
- Students Taking Action Not Drugs (STAND),
- National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance (NDWA),
- The International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy.