| US Senator Has Rave Rage | |
Dateline: 06/25/02
Calling most of their events "havens for illicit drug use," a Unites States Senator says he will introduce legislation to crack down on rave promoters who allow and encourage sales of the growingly popular drug Ecstasy.
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, (D-Delaware), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, called on Congress last week to quell the rising use of Ecstasy by passing his Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy (RAVE) Act.
"Unfortunately, most raves are havens for illicit drug use," said Biden. "Enacting the RAVE Act will help prosecute the promoters who seek to profit from exploiting and endangering young lives. The bill also lays out a plan to educate youth, parents and other interested adults about the dangers of Ecstasy and other club drugs associated with raves."
Statistics from the Partnership for a Drug Free America show teen use of Ecstasy has increasing by 71 percent since 1999. Each year, thousands of teenagers are treated for overdoses and Ecstasy-related heath problems. Much of the abuse of Ecstasy and other club drugs, according to Sen. Biden, happens at all-night dance parties known as "raves," where unscrupulous rave promoters profit from drug sales.
According to Sen. Biden, rave organizers often publicly promote their events as "alcohol-free parties," so that parents will allow their kids to attend. However, says Biden, rave flyers distributed among teens make it clear that drugs will be available. "Their promotional flyers make clear that drugs are an integral part of the party by prominently featuring terms associated with drug use, such as the letters 'E' or 'X.' And by doing so, the promoters get rich as they exploit and endanger kids," said Biden.
Sen. Biden says his RAVE Act will:
- Tailor existing crack house statutes to address rave promoters' actions more specifically so that federal prosecutors will be able to use it to prosecute individuals who allow rampant drug use at their events and seek to profit from putting kids at risk.
- Provide funding to mount a major education campaign about the dangers of Ecstasy use across schools and campuses nationwide, and authorizes nearly $6 million for the DEA to hire a Demand Reduction Coordinator in each state who can work with communities following the arrest of a significant local trafficker to reduce the demand for drugs through prevention and treatment programs.
Sen. Biden's RAVE Act will incorporate sections of S. 1208, the Ecstasy Prevention Act of 2001, already introduced in by Sen. Bob Graham (D-Florida).
About Ecstasy
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classifies Ecstasy (MDMA) as a "Schedule I synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties."
Use of Ecstasy can sometimes result in severe dehydration or exhaustion, or other adverse effects such as nausea, hallucinations, chills, sweating, increases in body temperature, tremors, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision.
Users have also reported after-effects such as anxiety, paranoia, and depression. An Ecstasy overdose is characterized by high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks, and, in more severe cases, loss of consciousness, seizures, and a drastic rise in body temperatures to 105-106 degrees Fahrenheit. Ecstasy overdoses can be fatal, as they may result in heart failure or extreme heat stroke, according to the DEA.
You can read much more about Ecstasy, raves, and the role of raves in Ecstasy abuse at: DEA Congressional Testimony - http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/cngrtest/ct073001.htm
