Harm Reduction is the seminal issue of our scene. To people looking in from the outside the narrative is “people just want to get high” or “surprise, surprise another raver died.” We at Dance Music Northwest are dedicated to preventing that narrative from continuing. We are actively involved in our scene to inform everyone as best we can, we are lobbying our local government to get Harm Reduction legislation passed, and NOW we are teaming up with USC Events, The Office of Mayor Ed Murray, Dance Safe, and members of the medical community to host a Harm Reduction Summit that will be free to the public.
A while back, a safety summit was created and hosted by USC Events and The Office of Film and Music. It was held immediately following the events of FreakNight 2014 and included a list of city officials and public offices. Now the goal is to bring the community in on the conversation. We need your input to make lasting positive change in how we can better inform people about the Harm Reduction landscape.
“To truly grow and create a lasting dance community, we have to open a dialogue between all parties and understand each others positions so the discussion can move forward in a positive direction for everyone.” — Gabe Ossa, USC Events
The Harm Reduction Summit will be held at the Experience Music Project on October 16 from 4-7 pm. It will include a panel discussion on all the major issues surrounding drug use and safety. This is not going to be another session of “just say no.” It’s going to be an honest conversation on drugs: the science, the treatment, how you can get medical help if you’ve gone to far, and information on laws that are there to keep you safe. Additionally, there will be raffle prizes for those who attend, which include tickets to FreakNight coming up later this month.
Our hope is that with this panel, we can create a grassroots movement of peer-to-peer harm reduction. We want to somehow reach the first time ravers and just let them know that there’s a safer way to party. It’s not about what’s blasted in the mainstream media. Attendance is free, and only requires you to sign up on Event Brite over here.
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
