Wanted: responsible dancing

      
By Adam Fish
   Argonaut Staff

      

      
The Venus Navigator was given a hand-rolled
      cigarette. He got so loaded that he should have been locked-up.
       

      


      He was out in the street dancing like a satyr, making lewd statements
      to sorority freshmen, crudely screaming, " I am so cabbaged
      on tobacco that I can't pee straight!" 

      


      Hopefully somebody will coach him as to the proper use of the
      tobacco plant.

      


      There will always be people who use drugs, despite prohibition,
      criminal penalties and embarrassment. 

      


      We all use some personality enhancer, pleasure increaser or daily
      stimulant. Most of these substances are legal, some are not.
      All have their hazards and their rewards.

      


      Some progressive activists have accepted our species' chemical
      dependency and have focused their energy into education. 

      


      Dancesafe is a national organization that promotes health and
      safety within club cultures. 

      


      Dancesafe's goal is to reduce club culture damage by providing
      information on harm-reduction. Dancesafe's basic activity is
      staffing for harm reduction booths at raves, nightclubs and other
      dancing events. 

      


      The volunteers hand out water, condoms, earplugs and drug health
      and safety literature. Dancesafe advocates an amenable lifestyle.

      


      Via Dancesafe, club-goers are informed as to how to avoid unpleasant
      club drug experiences. Every drug's qualities are made available
      for the discerning parties' intellectual perusal. The responsibility
      is then the user's. 

      


      Most Dancesafe chapters provide tests kits that quickly check
      to see if a substance purchased is ecstasy, also known as MDMA.
      Many nasty adulterants are being created by entrepreneurs who,
      because of illicit scheduling, are able to sell commodities without
      FDA approval. 

      


      The few medical emergencies that have occurred in the rave scene
      are often results of adulterant consumption or because of poor
      party planning. 

      


      Every action has its hazards that can be avoided. Dancesafe is
      active in educating 

      
rave-promoters to the use of adequate ventilation,
      safe-havens and proper hydration. Many "ecstasy fatalities"
      are results of over-heating compounded with under-hydration.
      

      


      Dancesafe is also responsible for petitioning Congress for the
      Constitutional right of assembly (in public-lands-rave claims).
      Dancesafe hopes that ravers can keep their fuzzy grins on through
      the night and keep the party legal through the week.

      


      Dancesafe's Web page is one of the slickest. The highlights include:
      the company that retails MDMA test kits, a fabulous cartoon slide
      show that goes into the complexities of neuro-activity on MDMA,
      and most importantly, how to volunteer and start a local chapter.
      If you too think the Moscow scene is in need of Dancesafe, then
      please visit www.dancesafe.org, contact the local Seattle chapter
      at seattle@dancesafe.org,
      or simply email the Venus Navigator at emancipation4u@hotmail.com.

      


      Tune in to 20/20 after Monday Night Football on Oct. 2 for a
      segment on Dancesafe to learn more about this organization on
      the verge of spreading nationwide.
 

      
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