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High energy, all-night dance parties and clubs
known as "raves," which feature dance music with a
fast, pounding beat and choreographed laser programs, have
become increasingly popular over the last decade, particularly
among teenagers and young adults. Beginning as an underground
movement in Europe, raves have evolved into a highly organized,
commercialized, worldwide party culture. Rave parties and clubs
are now found throughout the United States and in countries
around the world. Raves are held either in permanent dance clubs
or at temporary venues set up for a single weekend event in
abandoned warehouses, open fields, or empty buildings.
Attendance can range from 30 "ravers"
in a small club to tens of thousands in a sports stadium or open
field. While techno music and light shows are essential to
raves, drugs such as MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine),
ketamine, GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), Rohypnol, and LSD
(lysergic acid diethylamide), have become an integral component
of the rave culture.
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Raves evolved from 1980s dance parties, aided
by the emergence of European techno music and American
house music. (See Rave Music.)
European clubs that sponsored raves in the 1980s tried to limit
the exposure of attendees to the public and to law enforcement.
Raves were secretive, after-hours, private dance parties
and were often held in gay clubs where attendance was restricted
to invitees or friends of invitees. The site of the party was
often kept confidential, and invitees usually were not told the
location of the host club until the night of the party. Because
of the restricted access and the secrecy surrounding the
locations, the growing rave culture was often described as an
"underground" movement.
By the mid-1980s, rave parties overseas had
developed such a following among youths and young adults that by
1987, London raves had outgrown most dance clubs. It then became
common to hold all-night raves--which drew thousands of
people--in large, open fields on the outskirts of the city. As
the movement continued to grow in the late 1980s, the first rave
parties emerged in U.S. cities such as San Francisco and Los
Angeles.
Rave parties and clubs were present in most
metropolitan areas of the United States by the early 1990s.
Teenagers overtook the traditional young adult ravers and a new
rave culture emerged; events became highly promoted, heavily
commercialized, and less secretive. Many new U.S. rave promoters
were career criminals who recognized the profitability of
organizing events tailored to teens. Capitalizing on the growing
popularity of raves, specialized industries were developed to
market clothes, toys, drugs, and music. Private clubs and secret
locations were replaced by stadium venues with off-duty police
security.
By the late 1990s, raves in the United States
had become so commercialized that events were little more than
an exploitation of American youth. Today's raves are
characterized by high entrance fees, extensive drug use,
exorbitantly priced bottled water, very dark and often
dangerously overcrowded dance floors, and "chill
rooms," where teenage ravers go to cool down and often
engage in open sexual activity. Moreover, many club owners and
promoters appear to promote the use of drugs--especially MDMA.
They provide bottled water and sports drinks to manage
hyperthermia and dehydration; pacifiers to prevent involuntary
teeth clenching; and menthol nasal inhalers, chemical lights,
and neon glow sticks to enhance the effects of MDMA. In
addition, rave promoters often print flyers featuring prominent
and repeated use of the letters "E" and "X"
(E and X are MDMA monikers) or the word "rollin'"
(refers to an MDMA high), surreptitiously promoting MDMA use
along with the rave.
The increasing notoriety of raves has caused
the rave culture to spread from major metropolitan areas to more
rural or conservative locations. Rave parties are emerging in
areas of Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and
Wisconsin that are not always prepared to manage unexpected
crowds of teenagers.
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Rave flyers and posters
promote upcoming events. Information on the flyer
usually is limited to the date, city, and theme of the
event. Some flyers also include the name of the rave
promoter, the DJs scheduled to play, and a phone
number to call for more information.
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Rave music evolved from 1980s
techno, house, and New York garage music. The mix of
these different styles of dance music helped mold the
modern version of electronic rave music. Today,
rave music falls into several categories: ambient,
techno, trance, progressive trance, cybertrance,
house, jungle, drum `n' bass, techstep, garage, and
big beat.
Although a casual listener may not
be able to distinguish between techno and trance,
ravers know the music well, and several DJs and
bands--unfamiliar to most people--are internationally
famous within the rave community. Today's rave DJs are
skilled stage performers and are considered artists
much like musicians. They mix electronic sounds,
beats, and rhythms, often synchronizing the music to a
laser program. Popular DJs sell their music and
perform live at the largest rave parties and clubs
around the world. Rave organizers announce the
appearance of famous DJs on their flyers and on the
Internet to promote upcoming raves.
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More Typical
Rave Posters
Despite the commercialization of raves through
the 1990s, many promoters have preserved the tradition of rave
location secrecy, more as a novelty than as a necessity. In this
tradition, raves are rarely promoted in open media but are
advertised on flyers found only at record stores and clothing
shops, at other rave parties and clubs, and on rave Internet
sites. The flyers or Internet advertisements typically provide
only the name of the city where the rave will be held and a
phone number for additional information.
The location of the rave often is given to the
caller over the telephone, but many promoters further maintain
secrecy by providing only a location, called a "map
point," where ravers go the night of the rave. At the map
point, ravers are told the actual location of the rave. The map
point is usually a record or clothing store within a 20-minute
drive of the rave.
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| Drugs like MDMA, ketamine,
GHB, Rohypnol, and LSD--known collectively as "club
drugs"--are an integral part of the rave culture.
Many ravers use club drugs and advocate their use,
wrongly believing that they are not harmful if they are
used "responsibly" and their effects are
managed properly. Many of the commercially designed rave
clothes display pro-drug messages, and rave posters and
flyers often promote drug use.
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DAWN
ED Club Drug Mentions
1994-1999
GHB 
MDMA
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Members of private drug education and drug
testing organizations, called "harm reduction
organizations," have appeared at raves over the past 10
years. They attend rave events to test samples of illegal drugs
so they can inform ravers of purity levels. Members of these
organizations believe that they help reduce the number of
overdoses by educating users on the physical effects of specific
drugs. Conversely, many law enforcement agencies believe that
the practices of harm reduction organizations encourage drug
use, and they support their position with national statistics
that show an increase in club drug overdoses as harm reduction
organizations have become more active.
Club drug use accounts for increasing numbers
of drug overdoses and emergency room visits. According to the
Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), the number of emergency
department (ED) mentions for MDMA and GHB, often associated with
the crime of drug-facilitated rape, more than doubled between
1998 and 1999. (See DAWN chart.) DAWN data
for 1999 further indicate that young people are the primary
users of MDMA and GHB. For instance, whereas 29 percent of all
DAWN ED cases involved patients aged 25 and under, at least 80
percent of ketamine, LSD, MDMA, and Rohypnol ED mentions and 59
percent of GHB ED mentions were aged 25 and under.
MDMA is unquestionably the most popular of the
club drugs, and evidence of MDMA use by teenagers can be seen at
most rave parties. Ketamine and GHB also are used at raves, as
is Rohypnol, although to a lesser extent. A recent resurgence in
the availability and use of some hallucinogens--LSD, PCP
(phencyclidine), psilocybin, and peyote or mescaline --has also
been noted at raves and dance clubs and may necessitate their
inclusion in the club drug category. Inhalants like nitrous
oxide are sometimes found at rave events; nitrous oxide is sold
in gas-filled balloons called "whippets" for $5-$10.
Rampant use of club drugs at raves may be
leading to the use of other and highly addictive drugs by
youths. There have been widespread reports of increasing
availability and use of Asian methamphetamine tablets
(frequently referred to as "yaba") at California raves
and nightclubs. Heroin is being encountered more frequently at
raves and clubs in large metropolitan areas, especially in the
eastern United States. A wider variety of visually appealing and
easy-to-administer forms of MDMA, LSD, heroin, and combination
tablets are also found at raves and on college campuses.
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| Many young ravers wear
distinctive clothing and carry paraphernalia commonly
associated with club drug use and the rave culture.
Ravers dress for comfort. They usually wear lightweight,
loose-fitting clothes and dress in layers, allowing them
to remove clothing as they become overheated from
dancing for hours. Many wear loose shorts or very
wide-legged or baggy pants. Ravers wear T-shirts, bikini
tops, tank tops, tube tops, and open-back halter tops to
help keep cool. After hours of dancing and often after
using MDMA--which elevates body temperature--many ravers
have removed most of their clothing. Some ravers,
especially females, wear costumes to rave events,
dressing as princesses, cartoon characters, or other
fantasy figures that match the theme of the rave (e.g.,
futuristic, space, mystic). |
Candy necklaces may
disguise MDMA.
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Ravers often wear bright accessories like
bracelets, necklaces, and earrings made of either plastic beads
or pill-shaped sugar candies. MDMA users sometimes use these
accessories to disguise their drugs, stringing MDMA tablets
mixed with the candies. Many ravers chew on baby pacifiers or
lollipops to offset the effects of involuntary teeth grinding
caused by MDMA. Pacifiers are worn around the user's neck, often
on plastic beaded necklaces.
| Many people bring various
items to rave events to enhance the effects of MDMA.
Ravers use bright chemical lights and flashing lights to
heighten the hallucinogenic properties of MDMA and the
visual distortions brought on by its use. Chemical glow
sticks, bracelets, and necklaces are commonly worn at
raves and waved in the eyes of MDMA users for visual
stimulus. Ravers often insert flashing red lights in
their belly buttons (held in place with a mild adhesive)
and pin blinking lights in the shape of hearts, stars,
and animals to their clothing to provide additional
visual stimulation to MDMA users. Ravers that use MDMA
often wear painter's masks with menthol vapor rub
applied to the inside of the mask. MDMA users believe
that by inhaling the menthol fumes, they are enhancing
the effects of the drug. They may be adding to their
risk of hyperthermia, however, because the fumes cause
eyes and nasal passages to dry out. |
Beaded necklace with pacifier.
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| In
the late 1990s, many communities began attempts to
reduce the number of raves in their areas and to curb
the use of club drugs. Several cities passed new
ordinances designed to regulate rave activity, while
others began enforcing existing laws that helped
authorities monitor raves more closely.
Cities such as Chicago, Denver,
Gainesville, Hartford, Milwaukee, and New York took
deliberate steps to combat raves. These cities reduced
rave activity through enforcement of juvenile curfews,
fire codes, health and safety ordinances, liquor laws,
and licensing requirements for large public gatherings.
Many communities also began requiring rave promoters to
retain, at the promoters' expense, onsite ambulance and
emergency medical services and uniformed police security
for large rave events. Because of these measures, many
rave promoters and organizers moved their operations to
other areas.
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21
U.S.C. §
856
§ 856
Establishment of Manufacturing Operations
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Perhaps the most successful anti-rave
initiative was "Operation Rave Review," which was
initiated in January 2000 in New Orleans. Following the overdose
death of a 17-year-old girl at a rave party in 1998, the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) assessed the extent of rave
activity in the New Orleans area. The assessment indicated an
apparent correlation between rave activity and club drug
overdoses resulting in emergency room visits. For example, in a
2-year period, 52 raves were held at the New Orleans State
Palace Theater, during which time approximately 400 teenagers
overdosed and were transported to local emergency rooms.
Following this assessment, the DEA, New
Orleans Police Department, and U.S. Attorney's Office developed
a methodology for the potential prosecution of rave promoters
who allowed open, unabated drug use at the events. They used 21
U.S.C. § 856 as a basis to investigate rave promoters and to
gather evidence that the promoters knowingly and intentionally
allowed the distribution and use of numerous controlled
substances during rave events. (See statute.)
As a result of this investigation, several rave promoters were
arrested and the largest rave operation in New Orleans was
closed.
Since the completion of Operation Rave Review,
the number of overdoses and emergency room visits caused by club
drug use has dropped 90 percent, and MDMA overdoses have been
eliminated, according to the DEA and New Orleans hospital
officials. The law enforcement agencies that participated in
Operation Rave Review developed a five-step process that might
be employed effectively in other areas experiencing high levels
of rave activity, club drug overdoses, and related emergency
room visits. The process employed consisted of the following
steps:
1. Identify rave promoters. Potential
subjects for investigation included all parties responsible
for managing the production and promotion of the raves,
including the owners of the property where the event was held.
2. Compile emergency medical service
(EMS) records. Records of medical transports from the rave
venue to local emergency rooms were collected. Retrieval of
medical records sometimes required grand jury or
administrative subpoenas or court orders.
3. Conduct undercover operations inside
the venue during rave events. Undercover investigators
purchased paraphernalia (chemical light sticks, pacifiers, and
drug test kits) at the venue and filmed ravers using drugs and
using the paraphernalia to enhance or manage the effects of
the drugs. Undercover investigators filmed drug purchases by
undercover officers who purchased drugs from as many different
people as possible and as quickly as possible to clearly
demonstrate the availability of drugs at the venue. Undercover
investigators filmed the actions or inaction of security
personnel hired by the rave promoter, and they also filmed
patrons being treated or transported to local emergency rooms.
4. Place an undercover officer.
Undercover agents or officers posed as job applicants for
security positions and obtained interviews with the rave
promoter. The undercover officers asked for the promoter's
general expectations of security personnel and specific
expectations of security personnel observing drug use or
distribution.
5. Execute search warrants. Search
warrants were executed at the rave venue, at offsite offices,
and at the home of the rave promoter. Officers and agents
seized all documents and items relating to the ownership,
advertisement, promotion, and operation of the rave venue,
including but not limited to purchase orders for rave
paraphernalia, water, and other stock. Officers and agents
also seized employment records identifying security personnel
and any memoranda detailing their responsibilities,
correspondence or contracts with EMS services, and financial
records that detailed costs and profits associated with raves.
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Raves have developed over the past
decade from a small subculture to the highly commercialized and
widespread exploitation of young people by large-scale rave
promoters. The growing awareness of the nature of rave activity
and the effects of club drug use have moved many communities to
action. In order to curtail rave activity, communities and law
enforcement agencies are enforcing existing fire codes, health
and safety ordinances, and liquor laws, and are establishing
juvenile curfews and licensing requirements for large public
gatherings. They are requiring rave promoters and club owners to
pay for building or liquor licenses, medical services, and
security for their events, all in an effort to force rave
promoters to move or cease their operations.
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 | Associated Press |
| Drug Enforcement Administration, |
| New Orleans Field Division |
| The Gainesville Sun |
| The Hartford Courant |
| Jordan, Joel T., Summer Forest Hoeckel, and
Jason A. Jordan. Searching for the Perfect Beat: Flyer
Designs of the American Rave Scene. New York: Watson-Guptill
Publications, 2000 |
| Mock, SGT. James P. (Ret.). "The Rave
Culture, Ravers & Their Drugs: An Overview."
Training Bulletin |
| Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, Drug Abuse Warning Network |
Opening photo NDIC, background ©Images
4 Communication
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National Drug
Intelligence Center
319 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Johnstown, PA 15901-1622
Tel. (814) 532-4601
FAX (814) 532-4690
E-mail NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov
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Drug Intelligence Center
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