We’ve all seen the headlines, and we all know too well that too many deaths have occurred as of late as festivals, nightclubs and electronic music shows, many in part due to dehydration or overdosing on drugs. As much as the industry continues to ignore it, it does not – and will not – stop. Though no one condones drugs, it is a fact of the industry and something that needs to be addressed.
Today, fellow electronic music publication Mixmag decided that they would take a step forward in preventing this by launching a campaign in conjunction with Global Drug Survey promoting safe ecstacy usage with the motto, “don’t be daft, start with a half.” As their post today reads, “The message couldn’t be more simple: taking a small amount of ecstasy and waiting a couple of hours before redosing could save your life… If you’re a DJ or an artist, helping us spread this simple message could help save the lives of your fans.”
The article makes one of the best points all music publications, including us at EDMTunes, must remember: we have a responsibility to our readers, our social media followers, and anyone and everyone that takes part in the electronic music culture. People who are losing their lives attending events are not only affecting their immediate family and loved ones; they affect all of us who continue to attend. We attend these events and listen to this music because we love it; it brings us together as a community that is arguably stronger than any other music culture out there.
Dr. Adam R. Winstock of Global Drug Survey provided the following statistics about MDMA in the UK: “While 2014 might have been the year everyone was talking about ecstasy pills contaminated with PMA, 2016 is the year that reminds us that the drug that causes the most issues in things sold as MDMA or ecstasy is still, in most cases, MDMA itself. DS has found that in many EU countries high purity MDMA crystal now competes with high dose MDMA pills where the average is now 100-150mg/pill – with doses over 300mg having been reported. The increase in MDMA related deaths, from 8 in 2010 to 50 in 2014, mirrors the rise in availability of high purity MDMA powder and the amount of MDMA in pills across Europe. Since the start of summer there have been a dozen or more stories implicating MDMA in teen hospitalisation and deaths.”
As MDMA grows more available and the deaths only continue to rise, we need to learn how to watch out for others. No dosage of any drug can ever be 100% safe, but we can take the best precautions – we can be smart. Keep this motto in mind and help keep what we love safe.
Read more about the campaign here.
