Formation 1998 | ||
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Key people Emanuel Sferios, Bryan Oley, Missi Wooldridge, Chalaina Connors, Mitchell Gomez, Emma Jacobson | ||
DanceSafe is a nonprofit organization, with 19 local chapters in the US and Canada. DanceSafe was founded in 1998 by Emanuel Sferios. He resigned in 2001. Bryan Oley served as Board President and Executive director from 2001-2009, Nathan Messer from 2009 - 2012 and is currently headed by Bryan Oley. DanceSafe currently has a four-member board of directors who oversee the operations of the organization.
DanceSafe youth volunteers set up tables at raves and other events to distribute non-biased educational literature containing information describing the effects and risks associated with the use of various drugs and sell testing kits so that users may obtain more information about the contents of their pills. They also offer on site peer counseling, health and safety tools (Condoms, water, earplugs) and patrols for events that assist in keeping patrons safe.
Emanuel Sferios, the founder of DanceSafe, claims that his organization has saved lives by preventing young people from taking the more dangerous adulterated pills and by educating them.
Laboratory adulterant screening
DanceSafe no longer offers laboratory analysis of pills. This service is now being offered by EcstasyData.org, a project of Erowid Center (an educational non-profit), which performs anonymous pill testing with additional support from several organizations and foundations, including DanceSafe. Lab fees for testing vary depending on the form of the substance (powder, pharmaceutical tablet, or street table) and include DEA-approved disposal of substances. People wanting laboratory analysis of their pressed pill (Sep 2014) must provide a co-pay of $40. Testing of powders not pressed into tablets costs the sender $150. The website is currently soliciting donations to continue its pill-testing program. All testing results since the beginning of the program in 1998 are available for review at EcstasyData's website. Ecstasydata.org has broadened in scope, and now is running analysis of other recreational drugs (Including street cocaine to determine the spread of the contaminant Levamisole), and provided testing of uncommon research chemicals.
In addition to the work at raves and other events, DanceSafe ran an online harm-reduction 'booth' from 2001-2010. The Booth's administrator was Bryan Oley.
Dancesafe recently co-hosted the 8th International Club Health conference in San Francisco [1] that included Academic, Law Enforcement, Harm Reduction and Health agencies from over 17 countries across the world.
Dancesafe also became the first Youth Harm Reduction organization to officially partner with the ID&T/SFX Partnered "TomorrowWorld" festival held in Chattahoochee Hills, GA. The first partnership of its kind, it was hallmarked by the festivals extremely low rate of medical emergencies and lack of deaths.
Current Board of Directors include:
Dina Perrone, PhD - Board President
Bryan Oley - Vice President
Lisa Campbell - Secretary
Chalaina Conners - Board Member
Current staff includes: Mitchell Gomez, MURP - National Outreach Director
Kristin Karas - Program Coordinator of DanceSafe Visionaries