Raves worry Edmonton MDs, police
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* Heather Kent

Like other Canadian cities, Edmonton is trying to deal with the fallout from the increasingly popular all-night parties known as raves. The city has 4 rave clubs and the events attract thousands of people every month. Nine people were taken to a hospital emergency room during the city's last big rave, and Constable Rick Abbott of the Edmonton police predicts that the city's first rave-related death may occur this year.

Dr. Gregg Scheirer, an emergency physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in downtown Edmonton, agrees. Scheirer saw his first rave patients this January, when 4 young people arrived in his ER within 3 hours. One person who had taken the drug ecstasy ended up in the intensive care unit with cerebral edema. Following a rave in March, several people had seizures and one became hyperthermic and developed rhabdomyolysis. The main challenge, he says, is that the drugs produce different symptoms in different people. He is trying to educate other emergency physicians through rounds at the hospital.

The rave ideal is PLUR - peace, love, unity and respect - and ravers are quick to point to the lack of alcohol and violence at most events. However, ravers frequently use drugs such as ecstasy to achieve the heightened sensitivity needed to "see the music and hear the light."

"Without ecstasy," says Abbott, "there is no rave."

The drug problem is compounded because of an upper middle class demographic, aged 13 and up, "that normally, probably wouldn't be found using hard drugs."

He says idealistic ravers don't understand the increasing presence of drug dealers jockeying to control the flow of drugs at raves, and the growing potential for gang violence. "It's expensive to be a raver," says Abbott, with one tablet of ecstasy costing about $25. Abbott estimates that at least 50% of people attending raves take drugs; many smoke marijuana and do not take ecstasy.

The rave clubs are presenting police with the major challenges, because they require only a business licence to operate. Since they are not licensed to serve alcohol, they are exempt from gaming and liquor act bylaws. However, Abbott says that because the clubs often open after licensed premises have closed, many patrons arrive inebriated. Police would like the clubs to be regulated by bylaws, such as those that set age limits and legislate hours of operation. The police recently met with city officials, who are looking at creating such bylaws. Mayor Bill Smith has been "overwhelmingly supportive" and has visited raves to see the problems first-hand, says Abbott.

Meanwhile, without bylaws to enforce, the police are limited to parking a mobile command unit near the rave clubs and talking to teenagers about the differences between hard and soft drugs. Abbott is frustrated with harm reduction groups such as RaveSafe, which simply hand out literature about rave drugs. "Kids don't understand how dangerous [the drugs] are. They just see a cute little pill that you can swallow and you're high."