News & Updates | DanceSafe

Consent, COVID, & Dating

By: Sloane Ferenchak, #WeLoveConsent Coordinator; Gina McGrath, Consent Culture Initiative Founder/CEO; & Ashley Stafford, Consent Culture Initiative Executive Director If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that life during a pandemic is difficult to navigate! The risks associated with COVID have required us to use communication skills that are specific and detailed when discussing contact with friends, family, coworkers, roommates, etc., which is a very new practice for many. Although these conversations may feel awkward, thinking of them like “safer sex” conversations (or conversations about consent) can highlight their importance and help them make more sense - especially...

Navigating Mutual Consent Agreements: Lessons from BDSM “Negotiations” (#WeLoveConsent Toolbox Series)

Sweet, Sweet Consent. Consent is a critical component of sexual play that is dependent on honest, mutual communication and respect for boundaries, especially when it comes to risky sexual behavior. A group that understands the nuances of consent and focuses on “safe, sane, and consensual” behavior is the BDSM/Kink community. BDSM involves a variety of erotic practices and stands for Bondage & Discipline, Domination & Submission, Sadism & Masochism, whereas kink is non-conventional sexual practice or fantasies. Because these behaviors often involve physical and/or psychological risk, consensual communication is the foundation of these practices. Communication about consent involves “negotiation” about...

#WeLoveConsent: Do Year Resolutions

Happy Do Year from #WeLoveConsent Have you ever flirted with someone who wasn’t sober? Has someone borrowed your things without asking? Have you had a sexual encounter with someone who was way older or younger than you? Received an uncomfortable and unwanted hug from a stranger - or a relative? Been the person who gave that hug, and felt uncertain afterwards about whether it was well-received? These scenarios are all examples of the areas where consent isn’t as simple as just a “yes” or a “no.” Most people have heard the word “consent,” and most people think that they really...

#TestIt Alert: Round light blue pill sold in Philadelphia, PA as oxycodone (A 215) contains fentanyl, analogues, gabapentin

#TestIt Alert: Round light blue pill sold in Philadelphia, PA as oxycodone (A 215) but actually contains para-fluorofentanyl, fluoro-4-ANPP, fluoro-phenethyl-4-ANPP, fentanyl, gabapentin, and acetaminophen. A round light blue pill with “A” over “215” separated by a break line was sold in Philadelphia, PA as oxycodone A 215 but actually contains para-fluorofentanyl, fluoro-4-ANPP, fluoro-phenethyl-4-ANPP, fentanyl, gabapentin, and acetaminophen. The sample was submitted from Philadelphia, PA. The sample was tested using GC/MS and LC-QTOF-MS technology. These misrepresented A 215 pills have been appearing increasingly in the Philadelphia supply, sold as oxy. They have been reported to “not taste right” when snorted. Para-fluorofentanyl, fluoro-4-ANPP, and fluoro-phenethyl-4-ANPP...

A Goodbye, A Hello: DanceSafe Welcomes New Board President

DanceSafe has undergone some pretty substantial changes over the last few years, and our wonderful team - including our Board of Directors - has continuously brought a unique and precious set of talents to this process. Today, we are both saddened to announce the departure of our current Board president, Chalaina Connors, and thrilled to present our new Board president, Sara Gael. Chalaina Connors, MA, LPC, has been involved with DanceSafe for over 20 years. Starting as a volunteer two decades ago, she sat on the Board for the last 7 years, and was the president of the board for...

NEW: DanceSafe Affiliate Program

Big news, DanceSafe community! Support DanceSafe’s public health mission and earn some extra cash by joining our Affiliate Program. Spread the word about our products and get paid for every order you refer to us. Affiliates aren't just salespeople, however. Anyone who refers others to our products using their unique referral link will be expected to employ proper harm reduction messaging that upholds DanceSafe’s standards of promoting accurate and non-judgmental information. You can find tons of additional information and sign up on the Affiliate Program landing page.

#TestIt Alert: Round orange pill with “U31” on one side sold online as Adderall (amphetamine) but actually contains exclusively methamphetamine.

By: Rachel Clark, Programs & Communications Coordinator A round orange pill with “U31” on one side and two break lines on the other was sold online as Adderall (amphetamine) but actually contains exclusively methamphetamine. The sample was submitted from San Diego, CA to Erowid’s DrugsData project. The sample turned orange in the presence of the Marquis reagent and did not react in the presence of the Mandelin or Mecke reagents. Adderall is a stimulant medication primarily prescribed to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. It is composed of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, moderately powerful central nervous system stimulants that increase heart rate, blood pressure, cognitive...

#TestIt Alert: Round blue pill with “M” in a box on one side sold online as oxycodone 30mg contains exclusively fentanyl and 4-ANPP

By: Rachel Clark, Programs & Communications Coordinator A round blue pill with “M” in a box on one side and “30” above a break line on the other was sold online as oxycodone 30mg, but actually contains exclusively fentanyl and 4-ANPP. The sample was submitted from New Jersey to Erowid’s DrugsData project. The sample did not react with the Marquis, Mecke, or Mandelin reagents. Fentanyl is active in minute quantities, which has made it a nationally-recognized contributor to the opioid crisis due to its concentrated (and often accidental) presence in pills and powders. It is popularly believed that fentanyl and its analogs...

SOLD OUT – A DanceSafe and COSM joint fundraising blotter art!

THIS LIMITED EDITION BLOTTER IS NOW SOLD OUT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Just in time for the holidays, DanceSafe is thrilled to announce a joint fundraiser for DanceSafe and The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, featuring blotter art of Secret Writing Being by Alex and Allyson Grey! Painted by Alex and Allyson Grey in 2005, Secret Writing Being is a 24 x 24 in. oil on linen painting that was part of the 'Being' series by Alex Grey. This is the first EVER joint Alex and Allyson Grey collaborative painting that's been made into blotter art! Printed with organic ink on blotter paper, only 222 of...

Welcome to the Team: Hannah Procell

DanceSafe is excited to announce the addition of Hannah Procell to the team! Hannah Procell (she/her) received her bachelor’s degree from New College of Florida, the same university from which our Executive Director hails! There, she led her school’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) for 3 years, and in 2018 received the Prometheus Award for Harm Reduction Activism for defending the community’s on-site harm reduction services against administrative attempts to shut down peer support harm reduction. Hannah went on to Washington D.C. to serve as SSDP’s U.S. Advocacy Fellow, where she lobbied Congress for federal drug policy...

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