Harm reduction is something that you rarely heard about back when I started raving over ten years ago. Fortunately, now, it's a widely discussed topic that ravers are proactive about and show an interest in. Harm reduction is most often talked about in correlation to accidental overdose, but it also includes general harm and mental health awareness to make raving a safe space for everyone.
Here are some things that are included in harm reduction:
- Inform consent and be respectful of others' boundaries
- Discuss safe party practices with friends and make clear plans for how to keep one another safe
- Find mental health resources and discuss mental health with your rave fam to be able to support one another
- Stay hydrated and encourage your rave fam to do the same
- Use sunscreen at festivals and stay out of the heat whenever possible
- Get adequate sleep, especially before driving long distances
- Don't drive under the influence and encourage your friends to do the same
- Test substances for fentanyl and encourage preventative practices among your rave fam
- Have an emergency plan in place and know where Narcan is accessible before partying
iHeartRaves is proud to announce that we've partnered with End Overdose, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit dedicated to ending accidental overdose and increasing harm reduction efforts at events and in the real world. One of the primary things that End Overdose does is raise awareness on the importance of testing substances for fentanyl. This deadly substance can easily result in an accidental overdose if found in other drugs.
End Overdose works to distribute information and raise awareness on the importance of partying safely, but also distributes testing kits and Narcan/Naloxone, a life-saving overdose treatment for emergency situations. Individuals can take a quick online course to learn about how to react when someone overdoses on accident and how to administer life-saving treatment before emergency services can come.
Users can also purchase fentanyl testing kits, and learn about how to test substances to party safely. The organization has distributed nearly 30,000 test kits and over 7,000 Narcan kits since its inception. Users can take a quick course online to learn about how to administer Narcan and learn how to recognize the symptoms of an accidental overdose.
Today, iHeartRaves is working to donate to End Overdose by giving 10% of all of our revenue from our Garden Glow collection to the organization. It's our pleasure to help our community and to give back to organizations that can create a positive impact in the rave and festival community directly. You can shop the Garden Glow collection here.
