DanceSafe is a nonprofit, harm reduction organization, with 28 local chapters in the US and Canada. The organization was established in 1998 for the purpose of reducing the inherent risks associated with recreational drug use in the rave and nightclub communities. The organization's philosophy is that despite all our efforts as a society to stop the use of illicit drugs, people are using them anyway, and it seems unlikely this situation is going to change soon. This necessitates a practical response to reduce the harm that is taking place right now. DanceSafe believes that when drug users have accurate and factual information about the substances they are using they will naturally take precautions to minimize the risks of harm to themselves and others. The organization uses a popular education model for its harm reduction efforts, empowering members of drug-using communities to take information back to their peers. Harm reduction is a philosophy of public health, intended to be a progressive alternative to the prohibition of certain potentially dangerous lifestyle choices. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

DanceSafe youth volunteers set up tables at raves and other events to distribute educational literature containing information describing the effects and risks associated with the use of various drugs and sell testing kits so that users may obtain more information about the contents of their pills. For other uses, see Rave (disambiguation). ...

Laboratory Adulterant Screening

DanceSafe no longer offers laboratory analysis of pills. This service is now being offered by EcstasyData.org which performs anonymous pill testing and is co-sponsored by Erowid, MAPS, and DanceSafe. As of August 2005, ecstasydata.org ran out of funds and people now wanting to get their pills tested have to pay the full $115. The website is currently soliciting donations to restart its pill-testing program. DanceSafe observes that a large percentage of pills sold as MDMA often contain no MDMA at all, and often contain other psychoactive substances that can be particularly harmful when mixed or taken unwittingly. These other substances are usually combined in an attempt to mimic the subjective effects of MDMA. Common substitutions and adulterants seen in tablets sold as Ecstasy include methamphetamine, caffeine, ketamine, fentanyl (an EXTREMELY potent and potentially dangerous opioid), dextromethorphan, and the less well-known benzylpiperazine and PMA. All testing results since the beginning of the program in 1998 are available for review at EcstasyData's website. Erowid. ... The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a non-profit organization that aims to assist scientists to design, fund, obtain approval for and report on studies into the risks and benefits of MDMA, psychedelic drugs and marijuana. ... ecstasy and religious ecstasy MDMA, most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy, is a synthetic entactogen of the phenethylamine family whose primary effect is to stimulate the brain to rapidly secrete large amounts of serotonin, causing a general sense of openness, empathy, energy, euphoria, and well-being. ... This article is about the psychostimulant, d-methamphetamine. ... Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid compound that acts as a stimulant in humans. ... Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic for use in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis (1962). ... Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic, first synthesized by Janssen Pharmaceutica (Belgium) in the late 1950s, with a potency many times that of morphine. ... Dextromethorphan (DXM or DM) is an antitussive (cough-suppressant) drug found in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines. ... Benzylpiperazine (street names include A2, frenzy and nemesis [1] However, there are some references to BZP in the literature that predate interest in piperazines as anthelmintics. ... For other uses, see PMA (disambiguation). ...

DanceSafe was founded in 1998 by Emanuel Sferios. He resigned in 2001. DanceSafe currently has a seven-member board of directors who oversee the operations of the organization.

In addition to the work at raves and other events, DanceSafe runs an online harm-reduction 'booth'. The Booth's current administrator is Bryan Oley.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

DanceSafe

• The DanceSafe homepage
• The DanceSafe Online Harm Reduction Booth
• The EcstasyData.org homepage
• The Harm Reduction Coalition homepage
• Information and harm reduction strategies for ecstasy and other illicit drugs