It may have the least inventive name for a dance event ever, but Amsterdam Dance Event does have something else going for it. During its five days of conferences, performances and meetings it’s 100% legal to carry up to 5 pills on your person.
With over 300 parties spread over 100+ venues featuring more than 2,200 artists it’s understandable the delegates might need some “chemical assistance” to go the distance.
While under normal circumstances being caught with a single dinger in The Netherlands would still see you escape without conviction, the limit was upped in line with the city’s harm minimisation policies with massive crowds expected for the party, if not the conference.
As reported by the NL Times, the move has been slammed by conservative Dutch political parties, although the famously enlightened Amsterdam is sorry, not sorry. As if rubbing salt in the wounds of these conservative party poopers, it’s also been announced that the city’s official drug-checking laboratory’s pill-testing service will be open for extended hours during the event, with medical staff also on hand at locations around the city.
Following on from three overdose deaths at ADE-realted events last year, Unity, a Dutch drug education project, will also be setting up a microsite to provide harm reduction information to party goers.
There have also been warnings issued over a batch of pills pressed with the ADE logo that are reported to contain dangerously varied levels of MDMA, increasing the risk of overdose.
Earlier this year, a team of Australian experts called for pill testing to be put in place at Aussie festivals, as a measure to minimise harm, change behaviour and reduce the instance of overdoses at festivals.
You can find out more about The Netherlands’ harm minimisation drug policies at the Unity website.
