Myth: Some People Never Stop Tripping After Eating Mushrooms

DanceSafe is here to debunk the myth that it's possible to "never stop tripping" after taking mushrooms.  The first, most prevalent issue with this claim is the fact that all drugs are eventually excreted from your body after a certain period of time. To figure out when most drugs will be around 97-99% excreted from your system, look up the drug's half-life and multiply it by five. In the case of psilocybin (the psychoactive ingredient in mushrooms that is broken down into psilocin in the body), its half-life is only around 1-2 hours, which means that it is no longer active in...

September 11, 2017Read more...

International Overdose Awareness Day is a Day to Remember, Reflect, and Take Action

Today, DanceSafe observes International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), a global event held on August 31st each year which aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths. It is also a time to pause and acknowledge the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have died as a result of drug overdose. Those observing the day help spread the message that the tragedy of overdose death is preventable. To participate, you can find IOAD events in your community here. Accidental drug overdose is currently the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States...

August 31, 2017Read more...

Test It Alert: Powder Sold as MDA Tests as Potent Synthetic Cannabinoid

Just today from Utah a sample that was represented as MDA (Sass) was instead found to be AMB-FUBINACA, a potent synthetic cannabinoid. Related compounds sold in the black market as ‘molly’ and as smokable ‘legal highs’ have hospitalized and killed users both in the United States and overseas. Last June, a mass casualty event in Brooklyn where 18 were hospitalized and 33 treated was due to smoked plant matter that had been sprayed with AMB-FUBINACA. The potentially fatal dose for oral consumption of this substance is unknown. The reagent reactions for this particular compound were slight orange on Marquis, slight...

July 26, 2017Read more...

July 25th #TestItTuesday Alert: Blue Sun Pill Sold as Ecstasy Tests as Amphetamine

A blue pill sourced from Zurich, Switzerland is being marketed and sold as ecstasy (MDMA). Test results published on Friday show the tablet contains 21.1 mg of amphetamine, a common stimulant that is found in Adderall and black market drugs such as speed. As Erowid states, amphetamines are “the standard against which all other stimulants are measured.” Although a commonly used drug, an amphetamine experience is much different than an MDMA experience, so it is always important to know what substance you are consuming in order to properly prepare yourself. Purchase your DanceSafe drug checking kit here so you can identify...

July 25, 2017Read more...

No, Nitrous Does Not Deprive Your Brain of Oxygen

Nitrous oxide (often referred to as laughing gas, whippets, cartridges, hippy crack, N2O, or nangs) is a gas inhalant used medically and recreationally as an anesthetic agent. It is often believed that the effects of nitrous, which include euphoria, sound distortion, and minor to strong hallucinations, is caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain. This is a common misconception. Nitrous oxide on its own has low potency and many consider it an inert, benign gas that has little if any influence on vital physiologic functions (though this is not true when nitrous oxide is combined with other anesthetics, sedatives, or...

July 24, 2017Read more...

Today Designated as International Drug Users Remembrance Day by INPUD

The International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) is a global peer-based organization that seeks to promote the health and defend the rights of people who use drugs. In a statement released today, INPUD dubs today, July 21, a day to “remember our community members, our loved ones, our friends, and our family members who have died as a result of the so-called war on drugs.” “People who use drugs are dying in increasing numbers,” the statement continues. “There are more than 200,000 drug-related deaths a year. Overdose deaths contribute to between a third and a half of all drug-related...

July 21, 2017Read more...

DanceSafe Now Offering Fentanyl Testing Strips

July 18, 2017 - Fentanyl is a short-acting synthetic opiate that is now being used as an adulterant in substances such as heroin, cocaine, and MDMA. Due to its high potency, it has caused numerous deaths on unsuspecting victims. In response to the rising death toll caused by fentanyl-laced drugs, DanceSafe and the University of California San Francisco have conducted a study assessing five different immunoassay fentanyl test strips for their effectiveness at detecting fentanyl and its various analogs at concentrations typically found in street drugs. Although none of the five strips detected all of the fentanyl-related analogs, and one Chinese-manufactured...

July 18, 2017Read more...

D.A.R.E to Resist Poor Drug Education

“D.A.R.E. - To Keep Kids Off Drugs.” If you were a kid growing up in the 80’s or 90’s, you remember this slogan. You might also remember going through the program in your elementary school, where police officers would come speak in your classroom and tell you to “Just Say No” to drugs. After years of evidence demonstrating the program’s ineffectiveness in actually reducing drug use among teens and adolescents, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has called for a reinstatement of the program. The D.A.R.E. program was founded in 1983 as a partnership between the Los Angeles Police Department and LA...

July 17, 2017Read more...

Drug checking is a valuable public health tool and Johns Hopkins University agrees

A new study by Johns Hopkins University published online in the Journal of Psychopharmacology concludes that individuals were significantly less likely to report intent to consume a substance marketed as MDMA if the substance did not test as such. Results also suggest that Molly is not a less-adulterated substance, as discussed in this week's #MythBusterMonday blog post. The study used data collected by DanceSafe from on-site drug checking conducted at events between July 2010 and July 2015. The data was collected by DanceSafe volunteers Dr. Sarah Saleemi, researcher and physician at University of Illinois Chicago hospital, Dr. Steven Pennybaker, researcher and...

July 12, 2017Read more...

July 11th #TestItTuesday Alert: Unknown Homer Simpson Tablet Tests as 2C-B

#TestItTuesday Alert! DOH! A light green Homer Simpson pill that could easily be mistaken as a MDMA tablet tested as a 2C-B press. It is unknown what the pill was marketed and sold as, and the source of the tablet is also unknown. The pill was submitted in Bern, Switzerland last month. Always keep your eyes peeled for similar substances to enter the market in your area, as the black market is global and interconnected. Although 2C-B is a sought-after substance, it has different effects and is active at much lower doses than MDMA. If you are anticipating an MDMA experience but...

July 11, 2017Read more...