Nation's Leading Drug Policy Reform Organization Launches Major Web
Campaign Linking Hollywood's Traffic to the Real War on Drugs

STOPTHEWAR.COM DEBUTS AS TRAFFIC IS NOMINATED FOR FIVE ACADEMY AWARDS

Today, The Lindesmith Center - Drug Policy Foundation
(Lindesmith-DPF), the nation's leading organization working to end the
war on drugs, is launching a major web campaign highlighting the links
between the hit movie Traffic and the real-life war on drugs.

StopTheWar.com is being released today to coincide with the Academy
Award nominations. Traffic has been nominated for five Oscars,
including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (adapted).

"Millions of people who have seen the movie Traffic are suddenly
questioning the futility and destructiveness of our nation's drug
war," said Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of Lindesmith-DPF. "We
wanted to give people something they could do when they got out of
Traffic. The movie got people stirred up and got them thinking -- we
hope to inspire them to get involved."

Here's how it works:

At StopTheWar.com, visitors can play a fun, creative game in which
they try to "win" the war on drugs. Surrounded by images from the
movie, game players can opt for strategies that the government has
tried for the last 30 years, including: locking up all drug users and
dealers; sending guns and money to Mexico and Colombia to cut off the
drug supply; and promoting "Just Say No" campaigns in schools.

After the player tries any one of these strategies, a buzzer sound
will go off with a "Been there. Done that. Didn't work." Message.
Very quickly, site visitors will learn the reality behind the movie,
which is:

The war on drugs has been going on for more than three decades. Right
now nearly 500,000 Americans are behind bars on drug charges, compared
to 50,000 in 1980. Last year $40 billion in taxpayer money was spent
fighting the war on drugs. Yet illegal drugs are cheaper, purer, and
more readily available than ever before. Clearly our current
strategies are not working.

Players will also be eligible to win a free Traffic DVD or video.
Beyond the game the site also includes ways to get more information on
drug education, marijuana regulation, needle exchange and other issues
related to our current drug policy. In addition there are links to
other organizations working on drug policy reform and other ways to
get involved.

Nadelmann has recently appeared on Geraldo, in Newsweek, The
Independent (London), and other media outlets talking about his views
of the film, which is sure to get more attention given the expected
Academy nominations.

"Finally a major motion picture has come out stirring up dialogue
about our nation's war on drugs," said Nadelmann. "We hope this
campaign will take that dialogue one step further by letting people
know there are alternatives that rely more on common sense, science,
public health and human rights.

"Traffic could be the Dead Man Walking of drug policy reform."