DanceSafe

DanceSafe

DanceSafe booth at Seattle Hempfest 2007
Formation	1998
Key people	Emanuel Sferios, Bryan Oley, Dina Perrone, Chalaina Conners, Mitchell Gomez

DanceSafe is a nonprofit organization, with 21 local chapters in the US and Canada. 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.

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, Melissa "Missi" Wooldridge from 2012 - 2016 and is currently headed by Mitchell Gomez. DanceSafe currently has a four-member board of directors who oversee the operations of the organization.

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.

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.