Bluelight (web forum)

Bluelight is a web forum and research portal dedicated to harm reduction in drug use. As of May, 2022, it claims over 455,000 registered users. It was formed as bluelight.ru in 1999 before later switching to the bluelight.org domain. Bluelight has a dedicated following of people who use drugs, researchers, and people seeking advice for harm reduction in their drug use. It does not promote drug use explicitly, as evidenced by the honorarium to the deceased in Bluelight's Shrine where many members who have died due to their drug use, mental health disorders, and for other reasons.

Bluelight.org Harm Reduction Forum and Research Portal
Bluelight
AbbreviationBL
PredecessorMDMA Clearinghouse
Merged intoMultidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies | maps.org
Formation1997 (1997)
FounderSebastian's Ghost
Merger ofPillreports.net
TypeDrug discussion forum / harm reduction / research portal
PurposeHarm reduction, drug discussion, scientific research, influencer in drug policy, safer drug use, mental health support, addictions or substance use disorder support, well-being
HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
Region served
International
Membership
450,000
Official language
English
Key people
Monica Barratt
Parent organization
Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies | Maps.org
Volunteers
50+
Websitewww.bluelight.org
Formerly called
bluelight.ru

In 2021, Bluelight started a social media initiative to spread its reach in a contemporary Internet. The main focus is a Discord server (launched in February 2022) where anyone can come to discuss and ask questions about harm reduction, receive urgent mental health & addiction support, and interact with other members.

Bluelight's philosophy is to be a forum where people can meet and encourage open dialogue so people can be the "primary agent of their own physical, mental and emotional wellbeing".[1]

Partnerships

Bluelight.org was originally formed in 1997 as a part of a website called the MDMA Clearinghouse and in 2013, Bluelight had partnerships with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), an organization focused on clinical research on psychedelic drugs,[2] and Pill Reports, a web-based database for MDMA based pill testing results.

Bluelight has mentions in several formal publications.[3][4][5][6]

Monica Barratt is the primary research director for Bluelight.

Researchers sometimes use web forums such as Bluelight learn more about drugs use and drug use communities.[7] Individual users use it to share information and ask questions.[8]

See also

References
  1. "About Us". Bluelight.org. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  2. "Bluelight Announcement". MAPS. 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  3. Chiauzzi, E., DasMahapatra, P., Lobo, K., & Barratt, M. J. (2013). Participatory research with an online drug forum: A survey of user characteristics, information sharing, and harm reduction views. Substance Use and Misuse, 48, 661-670.
  4. Carhart-Harris, R. L., King, L. A., & Nutt, D. J. (2011). A web-based survey on mephedrone. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 118, 19-22.
  5. Barratt, M. J., Cakic, V., & Lenton, S. (2013). Patterns of synthetic cannabinoid use in Australia. Drug and Alcohol Review, 32, 141-146.
  6. Ward, J., Rhyee, S., & Plansky, J. (2011). Methoxetamine: a novel ketamine analog and growing health-care concern. Clinical Toxicology, 49, 874-875.
  7. Johnson, Doug (2019-10-18). "To Tackle Drug Use, Researchers and People With Addiction Alike Turn to Online Forums". Undark Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-09-16. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  8. Aubusson, Kate (2016-11-16). "Drug users swap stories, share warnings online in search for safety". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-11-14.


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