Pubdate: Fri, 02 Feb 2001
Source: Daily Camera (CO)
Copyright: 2001 The Daily Camera.
Contact:  Open Forum, Daily Camera, P.O. Box 591, Boulder, CO 80306
Fax: 303-449-9358
Feedback: http://www.bouldernews.com/opinion/index.html
Website: http://www.bouldernews.com/
Author: Coulter Bump

DRUG AWARENESS GROUP GETS NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Colorado Harm Reduction Practice, an ecstasy awareness organization, 
this week became the first group of its kind in the state to receive 
official recognition from the national organization DanceSafe.

DanceSafe is a nonprofit harm-reduction organization based in 
Oakland, Calif., that promotes safety among drug users at rave 
parties and nightclubs.

The approval Wednesday means that the Colorado group, DanceSafe's 
14th chapter, will be able to use the national organization's logo as 
it provides people with ecstasy information.

"Our group was founded by kids who realized that as things go on, 
things are going in a negative direction," said Nick Reinig, 19, a 
Colorado State University student and a volunteer with the state 
group.

The organization that formed in March has about 15 volunteers across 
the state, including some in Boulder.

DanceSafe and the Colorado group aim to provide users of "dance 
drugs" - including ecstasy, ketamin, GHB and crystal methamphetamine 
- - with information that might prevent medical emergencies. The 
national organization also provides content tests for ecstasy tablets 
at many raves and offers personal testing kits online, both on a 
donation basis.

Jo Ruder, program manager of the city of Boulder's behavioral health 
program, said she doesn't understand how the group's service helps 
drug abusers reduce or end their use of drugs.

"I don't think it's a good thing," she said. "In this specific case 
it is promoting drug use."

To determine whether a pill contains ecstasy, according to 
DanceSafe's Web site, the organization scrapes off a piece of it and 
treats it with a testing solution. The group notifies the user of the 
result.

A positive result does not mean the pill is pure. If the result is 
negative, the pill is a fake, but the group cannot tell a user what 
is in it, according to DanceSafe.

Derek Coxon, a volunteer with the Colorado group, said personal 
testing kits determine what substance is in a pill. To do this, it 
uses a "Marquis reagent" that changes colors in the presence of 
certain drugs.

Coxon said the organization's testing kits are accurate in 
determining whether an ecstasy tablet has been adulterated with 
substances that are more dangerous than pure ecstasy. But Colorado 
Harm Reduction, unlike the national organization, has not used these 
tests at raves because they are controversial, Coxon said.

Coxon works specifically with promoters in trying to get the Colorado 
group "managing booths" at raves. He said many production companies, 
even when the site managers support their cause, are cautious about 
inviting them to the parties because of the negative message it might 
send to the public and the police.

"The state is looking down on these right now," Coxon said. "It's 
really the state's fault that we can't do this."

Coxon said often young people who visit the booth will take their 
pills no matter what the test results are.

Lt. Jim Smith with the Boulder County Drug Task Force, said people 
who test their pills sometimes prefer to know the quality of their 
ecstasy rather than whether the pills are unsafe.

Smith said testing a drug and then returning it to the user might be 
considered an act of drug distribution, which is a felony.

"The fact that they get a drug tested doesn't excuse any criminal 
penalties," he said.

Meghan Knapp, Colorado Harm Reduction coordinator, said that by 
maintaining a neutral stance on drugs, the group has been most 
effective with drug users.

The group also floats throughout a party looking for problems and 
offers help to anyone who needs it. Knapp also said the group is 
working to train each volunteer in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer