Amazon Bans Sale of Drug Testing Kits

Amazon has finally removed all drug test-kit vendors from their site, making access to test kits harder than before. As expressed by DanceSafe, this decision is completely expected. Amazon’s policies require that all items sold on the e-commerce giant’s site must comply with federal, state, and local law. And, since drug testing remains a highly contested harm reduction initiative, testing kits still fall firmly outside of legal activity. It’s indisputable that Amazon’s legal team is in the right here. Continued sales of testing kits would lead to inevitable action against Amazon’s sellers and patrons.

The U.S. has made major strides towards improving harm reduction in the last year, but it’s still not enough and deducted access to testing kits can very well lead to more drug-related injuries or deaths within the dance music community. Other countries, including the U.K., have decided to allow organizations like DanceSafe to offer services at events without penalty. These services have doubtlessly saved a multitude of lives over the years.

Here in the U.S., the Illicit Drug Proliferation Act, previously known as the R.A.V.E. Act has impeded harm reduction services, and as a result, festivals often opt not to offer on-site testing due to liability concerns. This leaves drug testing and harm reduction in the hands of attendees. While Amazon’s decision makes sense, the removal of these kits from their site could prove as a major impediment to individual drug testing.

While the DOJ’s ruling earlier this year allows DanceSafe and other organizations to offer on-site drug education and free water, drug testing remains an important facet of harm reduction. Test kits are still available through DanceSafe, a well-established harm reduction organization across the United States. To get more information on actions that can improve access to harm reduction and drug education services, check out DanceSafe and Amendtheraveact..org.

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