ABOUT DRUGSCO I developed DrugsCo as a student-taught course at Oberlin College beginning in fall 2018, created through a combination of hundreds of hours of research, thousands of hours of field work in harm reduction, a faculty sponsorship, and a recognition of the dire need for fact-based, unbiased, non-judgmental information about drugs and all of the remarkable impacts that they've had on society. Since then, it has been taught to approximately 400 students, including parents, administrators, health professionals, researchers, curious onlookers, sober folks, high folks, and a whole cast of others.
DrugsCo is intended to answer all of the major questions that are asked about drugs, AND reiterate the (subjective) #1 most important thing that can be taken away from truly effective drug education: The more you know, the more you realize you don't know. This course is taught with an emphasis on community accountability - if you see something that you think is incorrect, outdated, misleading, or biased, speak up about it. This is an ever-evolving field that relies on guerilla teaching to become accessible. Accredited drug education programs are all too often taught by individuals who don't have any actual exposure to the communities or drugs that they're speaking about. Few things in drug education are more essential than recognizing just how broad and nuanced drugs are as a topic, and entering a discussion with the willingness to have your mind changed (or blown). Many of the more important points made in these lectures come from those who are personally working in this field with people who use drugs.
Fact-check what you learn. Make points; make arguments. You may know things that I do not. This is a team effort.
MY CREDENTIALS AND PLEDGES I have been working in harm reduction on an unofficial basis since I was 13 years old, when I began studying and disseminating drug information to my peers. Much of my life is spent around people who use drugs and communities that have been influenced by drugs. At 17, I began volunteering for DanceSafe (a nightlife harm reduction nonprofit), where I now serve as Communications & Programs Coordinator. Generally, this means that I run all of our communications and create many of our new educational materials. I regularly attend conferences, events, and workshops that keep me up-to-date on current issues in drug use, policy, and social impact.
I am also a health and safety employee of Ground Control (an Insomniac division that acts as unofficial first responders to medical or psychological challenges/emergencies at nightlife events), have represented DanceSafe as a tripsitter and drug checking trainer in the Afrikaburn Sanctuary, operated a drug-related emergency hotline in Oberlin, and provided underground drug checking in every area I've lived in for the last 6 years. I've been a speaker on drug checking and psychedelic safety in several digital conferences in 2020. You can find my ramblings in publications such as Lucid News, the Oberlin Review, DoubleBlind Magazine, WOBC, and whatever other scattered podcasts or clippings have been released over the years.
Much of what I know has been learned through firsthand experience working and playing at festivals and shows, and my own personal ventures. I've seen a lot of puke, sweat, and dilated pupils, and have a knack for finding That Guy Who Combined The Wrong Shit at any given party. As part of my mission to end the stigmatization of drugs and drug use, I will openly state that I myself am a person who uses drugs. I truly believe that having face-to-face exposure to drugs in action is essential for being able to effectively teach this kind of thing, and I hope to share what I've learned so that it can prevent some of the preventable tragedies that befall people who use drugs every year. (This being said, I will not go into detail about my personal use or experiences at any point during class.)
Some of this course covers basic neuroscience, which is an important part of understanding the physiological mechanisms by which drugs work (an essential myth busting piece of the drug education puzzle). I do not have an academic degree or certification in neuroscience - however, I have taken several rigorous neuroscience courses through my undergraduate career, and do not offer information about anything more advanced than what I know concretely. If I don't know something, I will say so.
I am also a white person who is, in some cases, speaking about the struggles of communities that I am not a part of. My role is exclusively as an amplifier of existing issues. Those who are directly impacted should ALWAYS be the first voices heard in this conversation - I am simply directing attention to them. I am always happy to change my language or lecture content in response to concerns or critiques. Please feel free to use the anonymous feedback form linked in the site menu if there is anything that I do in lectures that you feel to be inappropriate, problematic, or overstepping.
COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY Students of any background are welcome in DrugsCo. There is a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for any flavor of bigotry, harassment, or prejudice. Gender identity will be respected in any and all class participants, by everyone in the room. This class is equity-focused.
If you are part of a non-marginalized demographic, I ask you to be mindful of the space that you take up while answering questions and offering commentary. Allow others to speak first, if you feel as though you've been offering a lot of input - feel free to use the chatbox if you have thoughts or comments.
Since I am spending many hours preparing and delivering these lectures, I have limited ability to implement additional materials to help improve accessibility right now, but I will do my absolute best to make accommodations for anyone who needs them.
DONATION As a nightlife harm reduction employee, my income has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. If you love DrugsCo and want to show appreciation for it, any donations will be split 50/25/25 with DanceSafe and the Rainforest Conservation Fund.
Donations may be sent to @Rachel-Clark-40 on Venmo.