Seizing the Narrative: Let Tragedy Be the Catalyst for Harm Reduction

[divider]What’s Being Done Now[/divider]

We know what we can do before we leave home, next leading us to the question of what’s being done on a policy level. In the past, USC Events has enacted measures that have since become the standard for safety. Conscious Crew and free water stations have emerged as staples that operate inside the bounds of the law, while still not demonizing the scene the way abstinence education does. Washington’s Good Samaritan Law gives even further allowance, making it so no one can be prosecuted for alerting medical teams that someone is in trouble while under the influence of illegal substances themselves.

Following Life in Color though, more steps will be taken by USC to ensure the safety of their attendees. While plans are still in motion for sweeping harm reduction measures, the following policies have already been agreed upon:

• A doubling of the Conscious Crew Staff moving forward in 2015 (including Paradiso this June)
• The addition of several new water stations throughout their festivals
• Extra paramedic staff on-site at all times

All this is designed not to scare attendees at the gates, but to keep them safe once they’re inside. We’ll continue to update as more details come to light, but this is an elegantly simple step toward making sure we can refocus on the music and less on the amount of people ending up in hospital beds.

[divider]Turning the Page[/divider]

Call us crazy, but we dream of a time when we’ll stop having to count hospitalizations the Monday after a festival, and instead reminisce about the fun we all had. Not to ignore the issue, but because everyone was there for each other. Take care of your friends and strangers alike. Test your drugs. Make informed decisions. Maybe even go it sober. But more than anything, prove that we as attendees can be trusted with the rave experience.

[pullquote]You don’t need to babysit 30,000 people, but if everyone looks out for each other, everyone gets taken care of.[/pullquote]

When a tragedy like the one at Life in Color occurs, we chip away at that trust. Law enforcement and the media think one thing, and it’s that simple mantra: Raves kill kids. 1+1=2. A teenager went to a rave, took a drug, and died. The nuance of something like harm reduction is lost at the same moment a life is.

What we have to do is demonstrate an ability to make responsible decisions. If you buy drugs, test them. If they turn out to be something other than what they were sold as, flush them down the toilet without a second thought and enjoy your experience sober. Use the buddy system, designate a meet-up spot, and don’t let your friends wander off. Help us seize back the rave narrative, and show that we’re more than a bunch of kids trying to get high. We’re a community committed to the music, to keeping everyone safe, and most importantly, to each other.

To get involved with Conscious Crew at Paradiso or future USC festivals and shows, send all inquiries to All Zone Lead David Lopez, at volunteer@uscevents.com

For more information and resources on harm reduction, we highly recommend checking out Dancesafe, Rollsafe, and Stay Safe Seattle.