By D. PARVAZ 
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER 

Harm reduction is probably the dirtiest term in drug prevention circles.

Its proponents assume that even though users know drugs are bad for them, they will continue to use them. They believe that to prevent overdoses and other disasters, it is best to inform users of the safest possible way to use drugs, and to provide clean syringes and needles.

Kris Nyrop, director of Seattle's Street Outreach Services (SOS), says he deals with a great deal of misinformation about drugs, even within the community of users.

"Part of the unintended consequences of the war on drugs and the mentality of absolute prohibition is that when you have something that's in a black market rather than in a regulated market, you have absolutely no control, so you end up causing more harm,"says Nyrop.

His group's focus is to "reduce the harm associated with substance use through outreach and education."

This approach is a controversial departure from traditional drug prevention models of forced rehabilitation and incarceration. (For details, see www.harmreduction.org)

In the downtown SOS center on Second Avenue, Nyrop and a group of volunteers deal mostly with older users who are addicted to heavier drugs such as heroin and cocaine. In needle-exchange centers on Capitol Hill and the University District, Nyrop says he sees mostly young, white teens dropping in.

He says most of those teens are part of the distinctive rave/nightclub subculture and favor GHB and Ecstasy -- drugs that aren't classified as street drugs like marijuana and heroin.

"Every time someone ends up in the hospital and it's classified as a GHB overdose, I would bet the farm that 99 percent of the time the person has also been using alcohol," says Nyrop.

"There's a lot of confusion, both among professionals and among users, about some of these drugs. If you ask people if they're using GHB, a lot of times they'll look at you and go, 'Huh? What are you talking about?'

"But if you ask them if they've used Liquid X, they'll say yes. And Liquid X is GHB ... so they're not aware that Liquid X is not liquid Ecstasy."

MindBodyLove is a group pushing the harm reduction envelope even further.  Bill Hayley, 28, is a member of the Vancouver, B.C., group that distributes an Ecstasy testing kit. Hayley also sells the kit on his own.

Hayley wants to make three things clear:

He believes providing information is the key to preventing or at least reducing harm.

The tests are not meant to facilitate use.

He does not take Ecstasy. He says he used the drug a few times but stopped after learning the facts about Ecstasy use.

"I'm not telling anyone to do what I'm doing," he says. "It's a choice that I've made based on the information that I have. ... My personal experience with Ecstasy was that it is the lie that cocaine was.

"Cocaine was the lie of the ego, and Ecstasy became the lie of love. It's all chemically induced."

At the very least, he says, a person opting to take the drug can take precautions, like making sure to be properly hydrated (he recommends lots of water and sports drinks) and taking vitamins C, E and B12 (for their detoxifying qualities).

Despite the parties organized by drug dealers with little else in mind than pushing drugs, MindBodyLove members have found responsible event organizers who not only welcome them to their parties, but ensure there is a source of free water and set up concession stands selling fruit smoothies and healthy snacks.

MindBodyLove, started just over two years ago, focuses on disseminating information to teens and young adults. Members go into schools, community centers and raves, where they answer questions on drug use and provide unbiased pamphlets (regularly updated as the group gathers more information).  They also provide information on sexually transmitted diseases.

Because it has been included under the umbrella of Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (a highly controversial network of active drug users focusing on harm reduction), MindBodyLove receives some indirect financial and administrative support from the government. Health Canada and the Vancouver-Richmond Health Board provided some resources to the network.