Selected Presentations & LECTURES

Eugene Oscapella lectures widely on drug policy, privacy and human rights issues. Among his addresses:

• Part-time lecturer, Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa (since 2000)
• “The Role of Lawyers’ Associations in Law Reform in Canada,” UNDP - Vietnam Lawyers Association Professional Skills Workshop on Lawyers’ Associations’ Participation in Legislative Drafting and Policy Submissions, Hanoi, Vietnam, October 1, 2007
• Keynote address, Second Encounter of Members of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Powers Concerning Drug Policy, Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 28, 2007
• “Perspectives on Prohibition,” Faculty of Law, University of Buenos Aires (June 25, 2007), Department of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires (June 26, 2007), Faculty of Law, National University of Rosario (June 29, 2007)
• “Surveillance, the War on Drugs and the War on Terrorism,” 17th Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy, Montreal, May 1, 2007
• “Regulatory Options for a Public Health-oriented Approach to Illegal Drugs,” Canadian Conference on the Public’s Health and the Law, Toronto, November 6, 2006
• “Drug Testing in the Employment Context,” International Privacy Officers Network Roundtable, Toronto, October 17, 2006
• “Drugs, Drug Laws and Treaties, and Nurses,” Hear & Now: Harm Reduction in Nursing Practice, Vancouver, BC, April 29, 2006
• “Perspectives on Prohibition in the 21st Century,” V Congreso de Prevención y Asistencia de la Drogadependencia, internacional, Córdoba, Argentina, October 28, 2005
• “Developments in Canadian Drug Policy,” National University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina, November 1, 2005
• “Impact of the USA Patriot Act on managing personal data in a multinational corporation,” Privacy Laws and Business Annual Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 5, 2005
• “Drug Prohibition, Human Rights and National Security,” Human Rights and International Relations: (IN)SECURITY: A Student-Organized Interdisciplinary Conference on Canada’s First National Security Policy, Ottawa, March 24, 2005
•  “Dealing with Cannabis,” Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, February 12, 2005
• with Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, “The Illegal Drugs Phenomenon: The Need for an Innovative Local and National Strategy,” Syracuse, NY, October 28, 2004
• Series of lectures and public presentations, University of Hawai’i (departments of criminology, sociology and law) and Hawai’i Pacific University, and various media appearances, Honolulu, Hawai’i, September 20-24, 2004
• “Human Rights and Drug Policy” and “HIV/AIDS and Harm Reduction in Canada,” Vanguard 2004 Conference, Belgrade, Serbia, May 20-21, 2004
•  “Current Technologies and Personal Privacy,” Conscience and Science: Forum on Biotechnology, Ethics and the Future, Vancouver, BC, April 28-29, 2004
• “Regulating Cannabis: The Alternatives,” British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, Vancouver BC, Vancouver, May 8, 2004
• “Privacy and Security – Achieving a Balance,” Conference for the Access to Information & Privacy Community, Ottawa, April 1, 2004
• “Drug Prohibition and Terrorism,” First Latin American and Caribbean Conference on the Reduction of Drug-related Harms, São Paulo, Brazil, February 9-12, 2004
• “Assessing Approaches to Drugs,” Canadian Criminal Justice Association Congress, Vancouver, BC, November 6, 2003
• Appearance before House of Commons Justice Committee to discuss Bill C-38, amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Contraventions Act relating to cannabis, Ottawa, November 3, 2003
• “Choice of Instruments,” Department of Justice Seminar, Ottawa, October 29, 2003
• “How Drug Prohibition Finances and Otherwise Enables Terrorism,” Senlis Council Drug Policy Advisory Forum, Lisbon, Portugal, October 25, 2003
• “Some Fundamental Concerns with Bill C-38,” Library of Parliament Seminar, Ottawa, October 10, 2003
• “Workplace Testing: Genetics, Alcohol and Drugs,” Privacy Laws and Business 16th Annual International Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 9, 2003
• “Developments in Canadian Cannabis Policy,” National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, San Francisco, California, April 19, 2002
• “Drug Policy in the Shadow of the Elephant,” James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, April 11, 2002
• Testimony, House of Commons Special Committee on Non-Medical Use of Drugs, Ottawa, February 28, 2002
• “Global Drug Policy Issues,” Substance Use and the Conditionally Released Offender: A Harm Reduction Perspective, Greater Victoria Criminal Justice Forum, Victoria, BC, February 23, 2002
• “Genetic Privacy: Still An Issue,”  Department of Justice Biotechnology 2002 Conference, Ottawa, February 21-22, 2002
• Testimony and brief, “How Drug Prohibition Finances and Otherwise Enables Terrorism,” Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, Ottawa, October 29, 2001
• Testimony and briefs (“Profiteers and Prohibition” and “Witch Hunts and Chemical McCarthyism: The Criminal Law and Twentieth Century Canadian Drug Policy”), Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, Ottawa, October 16, 2000
• “Developments in Canadian Drug Policy,” Department of Criminology, Carleton University, Ottawa, November 10, 2000 (also 2002-03, 2008-12)
• “Futility in the War on Drugs,” Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, October 26, 2000
• “The War on Drugs: Lost Liberties Amidst Endless Futility,” Libertarian Party of Manitoba, October 26, 2000
• “Futility in the War on Drugs,” Department of Criminology, University of Manitoba, October 27, 2000
• “Ethical Issues in the War on Drugs,” Department of Ethics, University of Manitoba, October 27, 2000
• “The New Data protection Law in Canada” and “The Conflict Within the Health Sector: More Information, Less Privacy?”, Privacy Laws & Business, 13th Annual International Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 3-5, 2000
• “The Americanization of Canadian Drug Policies,” The Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, D.C., May 20, 2000
• Seven addresses on drug policy issues, “Keeping the Doors Open,” Conference sponsored by St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, B.C., March 1-4, 2000
• “Canadian Drug Policy and Breakthroughs in Chronic Pain Treatment,” REACH conference on chronic pain as a disability, Ottawa, November 20, 1999
• “Legal and Ethical Issues in the Care, Treatment and Support of HIV Positive Injection Drug Users,” 10th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Geneva, Switzerland, March 23, 1999
• “Legal and Ethical Issues in the Care, Treatment and Support of HIV Positive Injection Drug Users,”  Injection Drug Use Societal Challenges, University of Montreal, March 14, 1999
• “The Failures of Canada’s Drug Laws,” University of Ottawa, Department of Criminology, March 11, 1999
• “Profiteers and Prohibition,” International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, 12th International Conference, “Drugs, Criminal Justice and Social Policy,” St. Michael, Barbados, August 11, 1998
• “HIV, Injection Drug Use, and Care, Treatment and Support: Legal and Ethical Issues,” 12th World AIDS Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, July 1, 1998
• “Drug Prohibition: An Old Pursuit, A New Witch,” Humanist Association of Canada, Ottawa, June 13, 1998
• “International Human Rights Instruments: The Constitutional Law of the International Community?”, Atlantic Centre for Human Rights, Fredericton, New Brunswick, June 1, 1998
• “Witch Hunts and Chemical McCarthyism: The Criminal Law and Twentieth Century Canadian Drug Policy”, Fraser Institute Conference on Sensible Solutions to the Urban Drug Problem, Vancouver, April 21, 1998, Toronto, October 1998
• “Developments in Canadian Drug Policy” and “Human Rights Issues and Drug Policy,” 9th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-related Harm, São Paulo, Brazil, March 15-19, 1998
• “Canada’s Cannabis Laws and Policies,” Carleton University Hemp Club, Clearing the Smoke: An Open Forum Discussion on Hemp and Marijuana, Ottawa, January 30, 1998
• “Canadian Drug Policy,” Kiwanis Sage Club, Ottawa, December 3, 1997
• “The Failures of Canadian Drug Policy,” Carleton University, Ottawa, Course on Addictions, December 1, 1997
• “Workplace Privacy,” Saskatchewan Legal Education Society, Saskatoon and Regina, November 20 and 21, 1997
• University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, discussion of Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, November 6, 1997
• Canadian Parliamentary Affairs Channel (CPAC), October 26, 1997, debate with Dr. Grant Hill, MP, and Senator Pierre Claude Nolin concerning Canada’s drug laws
• Congress ‘97, Canadian Criminal Justice Association, “Fear of Drugs,” Ottawa, September 21, 1997
• “Canada’s Drug Laws: A National Injustice,” speech to the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, August 22, 1997
• “Genetics and the Dangerously Curious: Genetic Testing and Privacy,” address to the 10th Annual Privacy Laws and Business Conference, Cambridge, U.K. (July 1997)
• “Privacy rights in the era of government privatization,” Law Society of Upper Canada/Carleton County Law Association/Canadian Bar Association (Ontario)/Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa conference on Privatization and Commercialization, The New Business of Government, Friday, May 2, 1997, Ottawa
• “The Privacy Implications of Laws on Illegal Drugs” and “Developments in Canadian Drug Policy,” addresses to the 8th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Paris (March 1997)
• Appearance for the Canadian Criminal Justice Association before House of Commons Standing Committee on Health to discuss consequences of drug prohibition on health (February 1997)
• Appearance before House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Rights to address privacy issues flowing from genetic testing and drug testing (December 1996)
• National Cancer Institute, Kannanaskis, Alberta, “Medical Confidentiality and Cancer Research” (November 1996)
• Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, D.C., “Developments in Canadian Laws on Illegal Drugs” (November 1996)
• Appearance before House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, Ottawa, calling for a change in direction in Canada’s laws and policies regarding currently illegal drugs (October 1996)
• National Conference on Disability and the Workplace, Toronto, “Medical Confidentiality in the Workplace” (October 1996)
• “How Canada’s Laws on Illegal Drugs Contrubute to the Spread of HIV and Hepatitis Infections,” OASIS, Ottawa (October 1996)
• 18th International Conference on Data Protection, Ottawa, Canada, “Drug Policy and Privacy” (September 1996)
• 1996 Trends in Justice Conference, “Ottawa, Canada, Technology, Drug Policy and Privacy” (September 1996)
• “How prohibitionist drug laws contribute to the spread of HIV infection and other blood-borne diseases, Conference on Harm Reduction Around the World: New Approaches to Illicit Drugs, AIDS and Social Policy, Vancouver, B.C.,” (July 1996)
• Appearance for the Canadian Criminal Justice Association before House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, Ottawa, calling for a change in direction in Canada’s laws and policies regarding illegal drugs, February 1996
•  “How prohibitionist drug laws contribute to the spread of HIV infection and other blood-borne diseases,” Harm Reduction Around the World: New Approaches to Illicit Drugs, AIDS and Social Policy, Vancouver, B.C., July 7, 1996
• “The folly of prohibitionist drug laws,” Inner City Challenges: Drugs and Harm Reduction, Toronto, Canada, April 17, 1996
• Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Ottawa, December 14, 1995. Appearance for the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy to challenge the proposed Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• “Genetic Privacy,” Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto, Canada, Genetics and the Law Symposium, October 21, 1995
• “Canadian Tobacco Laws and Policies,” Ninth International Conference on Drug Policy Reform, Santa Monica, California, October 19, 1995
• “An Outsider’s Perspective on America’s War on Drugs,” New College of Law, San Francisco, California, October 16, 1995
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Australia, Sydney, Australia, presentation on recent privacy developments in genetics and drug testing, July 5, 1995
• “Privacy Issues relating to the Information Highway” and “Genetics and Privacy,” Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, June 29, 1995
• New Zealand Employer’s Federation and New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, “Employee Drug Testing”, Wellington, New Zealand (June 30, 1995); “Drug testing”, lecture at Auckland University for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (July 3, 1995)
• “Drug Testing and Privacy,” York University Executive Development Program, Toronto, Canada, March 1995
• “Developments in Canadian Drug Policy,” Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, D.C.,  November 1994
• “The Impact of Drug Policy on the Spread of HIV Infection among Drug Users,” Eighth Annual British Columbia HIV/AIDS Conference, Vancouver, November 1994
• “Government and Genetic Privacy”, World Congress on Medical Law, Jerusalem, Israel, August 1994
• “Civil liberties and drug policy”, “Drug testing and privacy”, and “Hair analysis (for drug testing), privacy and other human rights, “Fifth International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-related Harm, Toronto, Canada, March 1994
• “Privacy in the Age of Technological Voyeurism,” University of British Columbia, Faculty of Commerce, Vancouver, February 1994
• “Civil Liberties Implications of Treating Drugs as a Criminal Justice Issue” (February, 1994); “Drug Policy and AIDS” (November 1994), Simon Fraser University, Department of Psychology, Burnaby, British Columbia
• “The Failure of Criminal Justice in Coping with HIV Infection and Drugs,” Second Annual Workshop on HIV, Alcohol and Drug Use, Edmonton, Alberta, February 1994
•  “Privacy Issues in Medical Research,” National Forum on Breast Cancer, Montreal, November 1993
• “Witch Hunts and Chemical McCarthyism: The Criminal Law and Twentieth Century Canadian Drug Policy,” Canadian Criminal Justice Association, Congress ‘93, Quebec City, October 1993
•  “Witch Hunts and Chemical McCarthyism: The Criminal Law and Twentieth Century Canadian Drug Policy,” Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, Ottawa, June 1993
• “Privacy and Epidemiological Research, “Canadian Epidemiological Society, Laval University, Quebec City, June 1993
•  “Privacy issues relating to genetic, drug and HIV/AIDS testing,” Privacy Laws and Business, London, U.K., October 1992
• “The Privacy Implications of Drug Testing,” University of British Columbia, Executive Programmes, Vancouver, October 1992 and March 1993
• “Privacy and Epidemiological Research,” American Society of Law and Medicine, Third International Conference on Health Law and Ethics, Toronto, July 1992