I understand the concern on behalf of the producers about the perception that they are ‘allowing’ or ‘encouraging’ drug use at their events. That being said, simply recognizing some inevitable use at an event isn’t encouragement, and I think that there is a place for real solutions. These solutions can replace the current model we’re using, a model that is actively harming a community that I’m a part of. Under our present laws, a venue or company faces some very real risks if the government decides that their event is “maintaining a drug-involved premise.” But– to the best of my knowledge, the presence of harm reduction services has never been used as a part of any RAVE Act prosecution (although the law should still be changed). The fear that these services would be grounds for a RAVE Act prosecution are theoretical, and the result of a prosecution on such a shaky basis is far from clear, but the injuries and deaths caused by these fears are not theoretical. These injuries and deaths are real, and they are happening far too often.
dancesafe.org
