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DanceSafe E-News
Issue #7, July 23, 2001
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In this issue:
1. Police Raid DanceSafe Benefit in St. Louis; Trample
Civil Rights. ACLU & DS Preparing Class Action Suit.
2. The Barney Song: A Personal Account of the Raid.
3. Top-Ten Most Ridiculous Things Said About Ravers
4. Meeting People Half-Way: A Letter from DanceSafe to
the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA)
5. Major Website Overhaul In Progress!
6. The War on Drugs is in the House.
Column by Tonne Serah, Ph.D
7. New Women's Issues Forum and Workgroup.
8. Heat Stroke Warning Reminder as Summer Temperatures
Soar: Excerpted From Our Website
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1. Police Raid DanceSafe Benefit in St. Louis; Trample
Civil Rights. ACLU & DS Preparing Class Action Suit.
On Saturday, July 14th, a rave party was raided in
Potosi, Missouri. This event was to benefit St. Louis
DanceSafe and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.
At approximately 8:45, at least 20 or 30 police cars,
two fire trucks, two ambulances, a police van, a prison
bus, five K-9 units, and a helicopter converged on the
party. Over one hundred and fifty individuals were
rounded up at gunpoint, and detained against their will
for about two and a half hours. Their vehicles, tents
and person (pockets, shoes, hair) were searched without
consent. They were informed that if they refused
searches they would be arrested. Minors were questioned
without a legal guardian present. Two puppies were maced
when curiosity brought them too close to the drug dogs.
Those attending the event were peaceful throughout the
entire process (the officers mentioned that the fire
trucks were there just in case the ravers started
"firebombing the police"). DanceSafe director AJ Cook
was loudly reading the ACLU rights card, and many
witnesses heard officers yelling that they had to arrest
him to keep him quiet. Cook and others requested to see
a copy of the warrant, and were refused.
This event occurred the night after another rave at the
same venue. The affidavits from the undercover officers
present the first night cited massive drug activity,
including cocaine, methamphetamine, and syringes. There
were "kids using every kind of drug you can imagine,"
said Washington County Sheriff Gary Yount. The warrant
also mentioned a "rumor" that the $2 bottled water
contained ecstasy. This blatantly embellished data,
along with a falsified claim that the property owner had
registered a complaint against the event, was the basis
for a fraudulent warrant to raid the event and
confiscate the supposed drugs and drug paraphernalia.
The results of this massive illegal search were three
misdemeanor drug charges, and a warrant served for a
traffic offense. The sheriff commented, "we didn't find
too much," and "I swear there were drugs there the night
before".
Though we may take some solace in how foolish those
responsible for this travesty now appear, it does not
compensate for the utter abrogation of responsibility
that law enforcement showed in their intent and
execution of this raid. They not only wasted many
thousands of dollars of taxpayers money, they ruthlessly
trampled the rights of American citizens who traveled to
this charity event from around the country.
One attendee who drove from Wisconsin had his prized
photo album confiscated as evidence. It contained over
250 photos and was carried in remembrance of all the
friends he has made. Tents, cars and personal property
were trashed as the search became more frantic. "We have
to find something," witnesses repeatedly heard officers
yelling.
The ACLU has taken an active interest in this debacle,
as have police abuse watchdog groups. At this time,
statements, photos and video are being collected from
attendees. The local rave community, which numbers in
the thousands, has mobilized over this event. It has
become clear that it is time to stand up for our rights.
Legal action is looming.
David Jacobs and AJ Cook, St. Louis DanceSafe
==================================================
2. The Barney Song: A Personal Account of the Raid.
By Val Weinhaus:
The helicopter circled twice, and then the police came
in, Columbian drug war style, guns pulled and ready to be
used.
Jeff was assumed to be in charge, and was handcuffed and
put into the back of the police car. They told us that he was
not under arrest. They simply stated that they had a search
warrant and that his name was on it.
They refused to show him the warrant. They laid it on
his lap folded up with his hands behind his back so he
couldn't see it. Jeff was not in charge.
The property owner, Ronnie McRaven, was not served with
the warrant as he should have been. No buildings that I
am aware of on his property were searched, which is what
the search warrant allowed. Mr. McRaven was not given
any papers. Even the inventory sheets stating what was
confiscated were given to Jeff.
After their grand entrance, the police ran to the
camping area and rounded up all the kids. The kids were
made to put their hands behind their head, line up
single file, and march to the large pavilion where they
were commanded very forcefully to sit. (During most of
this I was questioning the sheriff about why they were
doing this to Jeff, so I missed a lot of the initial
actions by the police.) I was then commanded to go to
the pavilion myself.
Upon arrival at the pavilion, I made a couple of
comments about how wrong this was and that we had
rights. I was threatened by a police officer and told to
shut up and sit down on the concrete. I told him that I
was pregnant and couldn't sit on the concrete floor, and
after a brief argument with him was finally allowed to
sit on a bench.
There was, in my estimate, a little over 100 people
being held against their will in the pavilion upon my
arrival. A few more lingered in as time passed. The
police separated the staff of the event from the rest of
the guests, and moved the staff to the back of the
pavilion. AJ used a cell phone, and contacted the ACLU
and some media.
After about an hour, everyone was searched, and I mean
everyone, including kids around the ages of 7 and 8.
Some people like Jason Starko blatantly told the police
that he did not consent to the search, and was told that
he would be taken to jail if he did not let them search
him. During the entire fiasco from entrance to ending, a
man was taping with a video camera.
I believe there was at least one more video camera in
use by the law enforcement, perhaps when they were
searching the cars. One of the hostages tried to tape
the searches, and the video camera was confiscated by
the Missouri State Hwy Patrol. When it was my turn to be
searched, I stated that I did not consent to this search
and the police officer continued with the search.
During this time, AJ was reading from the ACLU rights
card, and the police kept telling him to shut up. The
police, in their discussions amongst themselves, were
saying that the only way to shut him up would be to
arrest him.
The morale of the kids was good through this entire
ordeal, they sang various songs while being held at the
pavilion, including the Barney song. When the police had
finished their search of the cars and the people, all
the guests were made to line up single file and give
their social security numbers, names, and date of birth
to officers in police cars, who then radioed in to check
for active warrants.
After giving our names and information, we were allowed
to walk about the property and gather our things.
==================================================
3. Top Ten Most Ridiculous Statements Made About Ravers
#10. "If you take your child to a rave, they could be
on psychiatric medication the rest of their life because
of the experience." - Dr. Michael Copass, Harborview
Medical Center, Seattle
#9. "Ravers often insert flashing red lights in their
belly buttons--held in place with a mild adhesive--and
pin blinking lights in the shape of hearts, stars, and
animals to their clothing to provide additional visual
stimulation to MDMA users." - National Drug
Intelligence Center (NDIC)
#8. "Some of the dances in the desert are no longer just
dances, they're like violent crack houses set to music."
- Michelle Leonhart, Special Agent, Los Angeles DEA.
#7. "Raves, under any name, are a lucrative business and
are frequently the sites of crimes such as
pharmaceutical diversion, rape, property damage, gang
violence, drug sales, robberies, assaults, and murder."
- Anonymous undercover police officer in Michigan
#6. "Ravers often wear bright accessories like
earrings made of either plastic beads or pill-shaped
sugar candies. MDMA users sometimes use these
accessories to disguise their drugs, stringing MDMA
tablets mixed with the candies." - NDIC
#5. "If you see a girl and a boy in the dark, chewing
pacifiers and waving colored wands, they're probably on
Ecstasy." - Johnson County Sheriff J.D. Richards
#4. "Ravers wear T-shirts, bikini tops, tank tops, tube
tops, and open-back halter tops to help keep cool. After
hours of dancing and often after using MDMA, many ravers
have removed most of their clothing." - NDIC
#3. "Several DJs and bands, unfamiliar to most people,
are internationally famous." - NDIC
#2. "They buy them. They have them on their hands. They
have halos. It's freaky looking. They're high on
drugs." - Undercover Agent in New Hampshire
and from the same undercover agent ...
#1. "You watch these kids walking around with glow
sticks all over their heads, with surgical masks on,
with glow sticks in their mouths, with pacifiers. You're
not talking just one. There are groups of kids walking
around like this. That's the norm. Who figured all this
out, I don't know. Where did it come from?"
Note: Some of the quotes above came from a rave document
on the website of the National Drug Intelligence
Center (NDIC) <http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs/656/>.
DanceSafe is a strong proponent of drug intelligence,
and we strongly encourage you to contact the NDIC and
offer them some intelligent and useful drug information
for their website. The address to email them is
cmbwebmgr@ndic.osis.gov
==================================================
4. Meeting People Half-Way: A Letter from DanceSafe to
the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA)
The following is an email exchange between Emanuel and
the IRCA. Please consider emailing them a similar request.
The more requests the more likely they will respond.
Dear Mr. Archer,
My name is Emanuel Sferios and I am the founder and
President of DanceSafe, a national nonprofit
organization in the US providing peer-based drug abuse
prevention and harm reduction services to youth.
First, I'd like to thank you for the service your
organization offers, and particularly the remarkably
inventive approach you take to balance children's
protection and free speech. Allowing website authors to
register their own pages and domains voluntarily by
filling out a (very well written) questionnaire
addressing parents' concerns is an innovative and
important contribution to the internet community. I hope
that you continue to grow and become more successful.
I am writing with a suggestion to improve your
questionnaire. You see, after answering all the
questions earlier today, I almost did not submit the
form, because I felt that while I answered all the
questions truthfully, some parents might still have
concerns regarding the content of our website.
This is because there was no section for "harm
reduction" and none of the other questions seemed to
fit. So I ended up answering everything as "none of the
above," despite the fact that some parents still use a
"just say no" model and might object to their children
reading anything about drugs other than abstention
messages.
Before seeing your website (which was quite by accident,
really) I hadn't even considered possible a system that
could allow parents who object to harm reduction the
ability to block harm reduction websites without also
blocking them from parents who approve of harm
reduction. With the system you use, I see that it
doesn't have to be an either/or situation. The only
thing needed would be a question on your questionnaire
pertaining to harm reduction.
Thanks and please get back to me. I look forward to
discussing this with you.
Emanuel Sferios
DanceSafe
PS: Harm reduction is a public health approach to the
issue of drug abuse among teens and adults that has been
rapidly gaining wide acceptance around the world. It
neither condones nor condemns the use of drugs but
accepts that despite the risks, many people make the
choice to use them. Rather than passing judgment and
presenting overly simplistic abstention messages, Harm
Reduction provides drug users with information to help
those who do choose to use drugs stay as healthy and
safe as possible until they decide on their own to quit.
Dear Mr Sferios:
Thank you for your e-mail, and I hope you don't mind me
answering in place of Phil Archer. We appreciate your
support and kind comments. I also found your points on
the concept of 'harm reduction' very interesting. This
is something that we've not heard of in Europe, but you
raise some very relevant comments. In a way we do cover
this to some extent, I believe, in our section of labels
regarding promotion of tobacco use, alcohol use, drug
use, and the label 'material that might be perceived as
setting a bad example for young children.' So while the
terminology differs, it's pretty much, from what I can
understand, covering those areas, although not in a
pointed way.
We'll certainly make a note of your comments though.
This was the 'first run' of the questionnaire and label
system in its wider base (the old RSACi system was much
narrower in its definitions), and obviously we're
gathering a lot of comments on what people would like to
see added. We've gleaned some very relevant and helpful
feedback, and when we update this area, we'll certainly
be looking at adding theses other criteria to our list.
Thank you for your support and for your comments and
suggestions. Hopefully we can find some way of
incorporating all these ideas into a very workable
solution.
Regards,
Lynn Edwards
Ops Support
Internet Content Rating Association
http://www.icra.org/support.html
==================================================
5. Major Website Overhaul In Progress!
We've made a number of major changes to the national
DanceSafe website in the last month. If you haven't
been to http://www.dancesafe.org/ in a while, do check
it out. Interesting features include:
- The DanceSafe E-Board: Communicate with other members
of the rave and harm-reduction community.
http://www.dancesafe.org/eboard.cgi
- Searchable laboratory pill test results database: Find
pills by name, color, drugs present, etc.
http://www.dancesafe.org/labtesting/
- We've started work on a Parents' Section to help
parents and teens better relate around difficult issues
like drug use. Parents please consider contributing!
http://www.dancesafe.org/parents/
- Website poll feature. All polls have a purpose, so vote!
- News about Raves and Club Drugs, updated daily.
- T-shirts and other cool stuff available online.
- Women's E-Board Group (see announcement below)
We're moving toward a more dynamic, information-centered
format in an attempt to get our large community of
readers talking with one another about issues pertinent
to the rave scene and harm reduction. The E-Board is
our first step in this direction, and so far it's been
quite a success.
Look for lots more changes in the next few weeks!
Coming soon:
- Womens' Issues Section
- Filtered library of scientific studies on Ecstasy and
other drugs that are relevant to users interested in
reducing the potential harms and risks, all with
down-to-earth summaries and analysis.
- Long-awaited Ecstasy Slideshow Update
We're really excited about these changes, and we hope
you are too. Please feel free to send any comments on
the site to: webmaster@dancesafe.org
The DanceSafe Web Team
==================================================
6. The War On Drugs is In The House
by Tonne Serah, Ph.D
In the summer of the year 2001 we are still being
swamped with hysterical media reports on the popular
dance scene drug, ecstasy.
"This stuff is lethal," says a Drug Enforcement Agency
official. Teenagers are dying, screams the headlines.
Millions of pills are seized in San Francisco and Los
Angeles. Officials vow a crackdown. Meanwhile, to get
into our parties we must submit to humiliating body
searches and dance under the creepy gaze of undercover
cops. What's next?
Are all drugs always harmful? That's the government's
position, and the job of the war on drugs is to make
sure that they are. As a government drug official
recently testified before Congress, "Reducing the
availability of MDMA has become one of the biggest
challenges faced by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration today."
Now, the goal of the government might be to fund
research to study the effects and side-effects of
ecstasy, to educate potential users about it, to
implement efforts to reduce harm from it or they could
try to shut down the sources of ecstasy altogether and
eliminate, not just reduce, its availability.
So, why does the government only want to reduce the
availability of E? Because that's the best way to drive
up the price and lower the quality, to ensure that more
and more adulterated pills are swallowed by suburban
teenagers, to force the manufacturing and distribution
of ecstasy into the hands of big-time criminals willing
to use violence to control their markets. Because
reducing availability is the best way to increase harm.
And once the "harm" of ecstasy is finally apparent -
because right now it's not - the demands of these
agencies for bigger budgets will be irresistible.
Meanwhile, as the availability and quality of E declines
and its price goes up, clubbers, and ravers will start
looking for alternatives. What will they turn to? Casual
users of E could end up addicted to speed.
I'm not making this up. Critics of the war on drugs have
been pointing this out for years. Substances that were
once generally available were intensely criminalized -
blah, blah, blah - and before you know it you have
international drug cartels and whole countries like
Colombia plunged into violence fueled by the drug trade.
Thank you, America.
The distribution of ecstasy, according to a recent
article in New York magazine, is already in the hands of
international syndicates. How long until the dealer you
buy your pill from has a Russian accent and a gun in his
glove box? Already, almost one-half of the ecstasy pills
tested by DanceSafe are bogus or adulterated. How long
until you swallow rat poison thinking it's going to be
the best roll you ever had?
How are you going to protect yourself when the war on
drugs is in your house?
Originally published by www.klubz.com.
Tonne Serah, Ph.D. is a long-time San
Francisco author, activist, and party boy.
E-mail him at partywise@klubz.com.
==================================================
7. New Women's Issues Forum and Workgroup.
This week, DanceSafe launches its Women's Forum on
the new public E-board!
The Women's Forum grew out of the newly formed women's
issues workgroup. Made up of female DanceSafe volunteers,
the workgroup researches and addresses issues such as self-
image, pregnancy and drug use, rape, safer sex, stereo-
types of women drug users, and many other issues we face as
women in the rave community.
We have created this space on the E-board for women
(including transgendered women) to discuss these and any
other topics that are of importance to us. The forum is
private, with an authorization process to help ensure that it
remains a women-only space in order to have open and honest
dialogues with each other.
If you would like to join the discussions, register as a user on
the E-board at
http://www.dancesafe.org/eboard.cgi
then email women@dancesafe.org to gain access to the forum.
Also, keep an eye on the DanceSafe National website in the
coming weeks for a brand new women's issues section. We
welcome any suggestions you have for topics you'd like to see
us address. They may be sent to women@dancesafe.org as well.
==================================================
8. Heat Stroke Warning Reminder as Summer Temperatures
Soar: Excerpted From Our Website
!!! Watch Out for Heat Stroke !!!
Over 100 people have died after taking ecstasy at rave
parties. Why?
When you take ecstasy (or any stimulant drug) your body
temperature rises. When you take ecstasy in a hot place
(like a rave) your body temperature rises even more.
When you take ecstasy in a hot place and start dancing
energetically, your temperature rises even more again.
With body temperatures raised to these very high levels
there is a risk of developing heat stroke.
When your body overheats you lose fluid. Some ravers
lose pints and pints of fluid when dancing on E in hot
places. At a crowded indoor rave you could lose up to 6
pints in 6 hours. These fluids must be replaced.
These cases are not ecstasy overdoses. Heatstroke can
happen even if you have only taken one tablet.
In case you missed that...
These cases are not ecstasy overdoses. Heatstroke can
happen even if you have only taken one tablet.
What can you do to prevent heatstroke?
1. As a rough guide, you should be looking to drink
about a pint of water every hour (2-4 cups). Sip water
slowly rather than drinking a lot all at once, as this
can be dangerous.
2. Try and eat something salty or drink juice or
isotonic sports drinks like Gatorade. This will
replenish your body's electrolytes and prevent
hyponaetremia (water toxicity).
3. Take breaks from dancing and allow your body to cool
down. Chill out areas are perfect for this.
4. Wear loose-fitting clothes and don't wear a hat.
Wearing a hat keeps the heat in.
5. Encourage your local promoters to adopt our safe
settings guidelines.
Important Note: Alcohol is absolutely useless and
positively dangerous for people dancing on E. Alcohol
makes you dehydrate even more!
Warning signs of dehydration and possible heatstroke
1. Failure to sweat.
2. Cramps in the legs, arms and back.
3. Giddiness, dizziness, headache, fatigue.
4. Vomiting.
5. Fainting or loss of consciousness.
6. Suddenly feeling really tired, irritable and confused.
If any of these things happen, stop dancing, drink some
water and chill out immediately.
BUT DON'T DRINK TOO MUCH WATER.
There have been a few deaths reported from people
drinking too much water while at a rave. This is
extremely rare. However, drinking 2-4 cups an hour when
dancing is about the right amount. You should also try
and eat something salty (not always easy if you've taken
a stimulant drug) or drink fruit juice or a sports drink
like Gatorade. Remember, water is an antidote to
dehydration, not ecstasy.
What if someone collapses while dancing?
1. Call an ambulance.
2. Get the person to as cool a place as possible. This
might mean taking them outside.
3. Drench them with water (as cold as possible) using
any means you can. Increase the cooling down process by
fanning them with anything that's handy. You are looking
to get the body temperature down to 102F (38.9C). Once
the temperature is down to this level the person should
be wrapped in a dry blanket or given some dry clothes to
wear. The temperature shouldn't be allowed to fall much
below 102F or other serious consequences might develop.
4. When the ambulance comes tell them what the person
has taken (if you know) and that you think it is
heatstroke.
5. If the person regains consciousness make them drink
water with some salt in it. Gatorade or other sports
drinks are ideal. At this point the person might start
sweating again. This is a good sign.
6. The person should be taken to the hospital for
observation and proper treatment.
==================================================
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Help promote harm reduction by ...
1) Forwarding this E-Zine to your friends.
2) Showing compassion and respect for drug users
and their families.
3) Becoming a DanceSafe supporter at:
http://www.dancesafe.org/support/
==================================================
The contents of E-News are (c)2001 DanceSafe
and respective authors unless otherwise noted.
Permission is hereby granted to freely reprint
& reproduce DanceSafe E-News as long as proper
credit is given.
==================================================
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