Over recent years, the dance community has been under more scrutiny than ever with drug-related deaths taking over headlines. In response to some tragedies at festivals, Electric Zoo — which saw two deaths last year — has taken action through an anti-drug PSA and even more extreme efforts including surveillance cameras and drug-sniffing dogs.
Other organizations take the harm reduction approach. Bunk Police, founded by “Adam Auctor” (a pseudonym used to protect his work and identity) allows festival goers to test the purity of their drugs, rather than campaigning to ban drugs altogether. Bunk Police distributes drug-testing kits (which can be purchased on Amazon) in festivals so those who choose to use can know exactly what is inside their substance, and in turn, be more responsible with their usage.
The testing process is simple: Add a couple of liquid solution from the test kit onto a small amount of the substance. After 10 to 15 seconds of shaking the liquid-substance mixture, a number of colors will show, and these colors can be matched up to a color-coded chart from the kit.
Although Auctor doesn’t see himself as part of the dance culture, he decided to become a leader in on-site drug-testing after being aware of the numerous drug-related incidents happening at festivals. “This is the path I’ve chosen for myself,” he states. “This is my whole life.”
Read the interview with Adam Auctor here, and visit the Bunk Police website to learn more.