Colleen Cowles is an attorney, an advocate, a Mom with personal experience, author of the book, "War On Us: How the War on Drugs and Myths About Addiction Have Created a War on All of Us" and a consultant working with parents who have sons or daughters struggling with substance use. Colleen's services range from guidance with estate planning and financial decision making to selecting and funding treatment and creating objective plans so next time crisis arises you have a plan and know what to do. Over two decades of research and work with clients opened her eyes to the devastating impact of dysfunctional drug policy on health, family, safety, assets, and civil liberties of ALL citizens -- even those who've never tried an illegal drug.
Colleen's goal is to protect all of our families from dysfunctional drug policy that's killing people and destroying lives, creating government sanctioned stigma, and escalating the addiction, overdose and mass-incarceration epidemic. Her work also helps those who struggle with substance use disorder, and those who love them.
Colleen speaks at corporate, public, and university events, and is a frequent radio and TV guest expert on topics related to criminal justice reform and substance use disorder. Colleen's extensive experience and practical insights into this urgently important topic bring objectivity and solutions to a topic that, for too long, has been approached emotionally, ignoring science, medicine, and history of what DOES work.