RAVES AND DRUGS A BAD COMBINATION : DRIVE 4 LIFE CONFERENCE SPEAKER

When Stephen Meredith talks about raves, he makes it clear that he has
absolutely nothing against dancing all night. The drugs associated with that
scene, however, are a whole different nightmare.

Meredith, a program consultant from the Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health, made his comments Thursday during Drive 4 Life, the annual
conference for high school students, which focuses on the realities of
impaired driving and related issues.

Meredith said ravers come from all walks of life and many enjoy these
functions for the music and dance alone without being fueled by "club
drugs." Most attendees are 16 to 18, although the age is dropping - not
good, said Meredith, considering the easy availability of drugs.

These range from magic mushrooms and crystal meth to ecstasy.

(Fortunately, cocaine and heroin don't raise their ugly heads at raves on a
regular basis.) The expected effects of these concoctions are bad enough,
Meredith explained, but compounding the problem is that ravers don't always
know exactly what they're buying and what impurities may be involved.

"You never really know what you're getting," he said. "There is no quality
control, so it's a dangerous venture to take on."

Some ravers pace their evening's out around drugs and Meredith said some
will start the night with acid, then move on to Ecstasy around midnight,
slip themselves some Ketamine (an anesthetic by veterinarians) then try to
get sleep via Valium.

"Combinations of these are especially dangerous," said Meredith. With such
substances among the many temptations facing youth, Meredith encouraged the
Drive 4 Life attendees to go to raves with friends and hang with peer
groups, who aren't into mind-altering substances.

"It's cool to go out and not take drugs," he said. "We encourage people to
make smart decisions and look out for your friends."

Ecstasy is the predominant drug at raves, which comes in pill form and costs
around $20 to $25 and creates a sense of euphoria, increased sociability,
energy and self-confidence.

"If you think about these things you can see what the attraction is," said
Meredith.

Ecstasy dramatically increases heart rate and blood pressure, raises body
temperature alarmingly and can lead to depression. Long-term use, Meredith
continued, has been linked to permanent damage to the neuro-transmitters in
the brain.

Some users die outright, but too little is known about Ecstasy to discover
why one person dances the night away and another one succumbs.

Meredith is quick to point out that youth do not have a corner on ingesting
Ecstasy and explained that an estimated 200,000 adults in Ontario have tried
the drug.

PMA - which dealers falsely sell as Ecstasy because it's cheaper to
manufacture - also increases body temperature, but can also shut down
internal organs.

Ketamine (also known as "Special K") is a legitimate anesthetic used by
veterinarians. Ravers take it for its disassociative properties and often
combine it with other drugs for a "pharmacological good time," said
Meredith. Users often don't feel pain and can be injured but not know it.
Sometimes they drop down a "K-hole," in which they remain aware of
everything around them, their eyes are open, but they can't move. This makes
them vulnerable robbery, rape and worse.

Another date rape drug is GHB, which Meredith said is risky to take because
of its narrow dose range. Methamphetamine is dangerous because of its
addictive properties and the "dramatic physical deterioration" which
accompanies use.