This year presented significant challenges for Bunk Police, a global organization dedicated to harm reduction at music festivals. Founded 13 years ago, Bunk Police started at Electric Forest in 2011 in response to the rise of synthetic stimulants, particularly bath salts. Their mission has since evolved, focusing primarily on combating the opioid epidemic that began around 2017.
Despite the four-day electronic music festival's strict prohibition on illegal drugs, festival-goers still manage to sneak them in. Adam Doctor, the founder of Bunk Police, revealed:
"From 2011 to 2015, we successfully distributed drug testing kits at Electric Forest without any issues."
However, 2016 and 2017 saw a shift, with the organization being ejected from the event multiple times. Since then, they had been operating without significant problems until this year.
In a surprising turn of events, Bunk Police was removed from the festival grounds twice in a single day. Doctor explained that security cited the RAVE Act of 2003, which, according to the ACLU, holds business and property owners, as well as rave promoters, accountable for failing to prevent drug-related offenses. This law has made venue operators wary of allowing harm reduction services, fearing severe penalties such as $250,000 fines, property seizure, and even prison time.
"The RAVE Act makes it so that somebody who is operating a venue like this is afraid to allow certain harm reduction services because it might look like they are encouraging or allowing drug use," Doctor stated. "They are choosing a perceived lower level of liability over potentially saving lives."
Festival organizers are choosing to minimize their liability, even if it means compromising on potentially lifesaving measures. Bunk Police was told they could no longer have a booth and were instead permitted to walk from campsite to campsite. This restriction significantly impacted their outreach, reducing the distribution of test kits by an estimated 20-30%.
Despite these setbacks, Bunk Police remains committed to their mission. They continue to work towards reducing the over 100,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. each year by educating people about the issues they face. Doctor affirmed their determination to return to Electric Forest next year, with or without official permission.
A representative from Electric Forest confirmed the removal, stating that Bunk Police was asked to leave for being in restricted areas without proper credentials. The representative explained:
"Due to the RAVE Act, testing cannot be offered by the festival."
Electric Forest representatives added that they are unable to provide harm reduction services directly because of the severe penalties associated with the law. Nonetheless, Bunk Police plans to use footage from this year’s challenges to further their mission and advocate for harm reduction.
For festival attendees looking to get test kits, visit Bunk Police.
References:
- WOODTV8. Group Providing Drug Testing Kits Kicked Out of Electric Forest. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pUgy4TL2Oc&ab_channel=WOODTV8