OFFICIALS DISCUSS STATE RAVE SCENE

Education Key To Keeping Abreast Of Trends, Officer Says

As Wisconsin gains national attention for its growing rave scene, law
enforcement and health officials say they're struggling to keep up with
trends involving club drugs, including the popular rave drug Ecstasy.

In particular, the use of the drug is on the rise among affluent suburban
youths, more and more of whom are winding up in emergency rooms after
overdosing.

"It's here, and it's big time," said Kathy Sorenson, program director of
Project HUGS in Madison, an organization that works with families of kids
with drug and alcohol problems.

At a conference Friday at Waukesha Memorial Hospital titled "Raves, Ravers
and Club Drugs," more than 100 social workers, health care professionals
and school and law enforcement officials gathered to discuss the rave
subculture and club drugs scene in Wisconsin.

"Education is the key here," said Madison police Detective George Chavez.
He said networking among law enforcement agencies, schools, parent
advocates and the medical community is the best way to stay abreast of the
evolving trends.

Chavez said the culture of all-night dance parties that are often heavily
saturated with club drugs is spreading beyond Madison and Milwaukee, with
more of the events showing up in the Fox River Valley and other parts of
the state.

Ravers use Internet

As the scene grows - with ravers from far-flung cities such as Atlanta and
San Francisco making the trek to Madison raves - the Internet is a useful
tool to find out what to watch for, whether you're a parent or a police
officer, Chavez said.

"I tell you, I get on the Internet every day," said Chavez, a member of the
Dane County Narcotics & Gang Task Force.

On some Web sites, Milwaukee- and Madison-area users rate different types
of Ecstasy, including the orangish-pink "Chanel," white "Rocket" and
"Purple Motorola," describing the "roll," or high, they get from the
psychoactive stimulant and hallucinogenic drugs.

"It lasted a good 3 hours," a Madison person using the handle "djbuzz" on
one Web site said of the Rocket high. "Started coming off, smoked a bowl
(marijuana), and it hit me harder than b4 unreal . . . Total Roll."

The Web sites quote users from all over the state, including Oshkosh, Green
Bay, Janesville and West Allis and other Milwaukee suburbs.

Officers from several area law enforcement agencies attended Friday's
conference to learn more about the rave scene, which because of its high
costs most often attracts suburban youths from affluent families.

Tickets to get into raves can cost $25 to $75. Hits of Ecstasy, the
psychoactive stimulant and hallucinogen known as the "hug drug" for its
ability to enhance sensitivity to touch, go for $20 to $25 each. Ketamine,
a veterinary drug that produces an almost instantaneous high, sells for
about $20.

"This stuff is expensive," Chavez said. "We're not seeing a lot of this in
inner cities."

Though there have not been many club drug-related arrests in Delafield, a
Waukesha County suburb of about 6,500, Police Officer Dan Bloedow said he
attended the conference to learn more about the burgeoning trend.

"I've talked to kids who have been to the raves - they've seen the stuff,
they've used the stuff," Bloedow said. "I know it's present here."

Deadly mix

Medical professionals say the popular practice of mixing several types of
drugs in "cocktails" in order to achieve maximum, sustained highs presents
a particular problem for doctors and nurses in emergency rooms who have to
quickly treat overdose victims.

"It's backyard chemistry," said Michael J. Foley, a physician with St.
Mary's Hospital Medical Center in Madison. "And the result can be death."

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, emergency room
visits nationally related to Ecstasy rose from 1,143 in 1998 to 2,850 in
1999. Foley spoke of young people entering his emergency room with racing
heart rates and body temperatures above 105 degrees. Many must go on
dialysis. Some go into cardiac arrest.

Last year, 16-year-old Brett Zweifel died after taking a lethal dose of
Ecstasy at a Madison rave that attracted about 1,000 people.

But the potentially deadly trend in club drugs shows no signs of slowing.
Earlier this year, Madison police busted a dealer who had 10,000 Ecstasy
pills, most concealed in Starburst candy wrappers.

Other busts were also made this year in connection with raves in
communities such as Lancaster in rural southwestern Wisconsin.

On Friday, 33-year-old Randy Lenvel Markland of Milwaukee appeared before
U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia J. Gorence, who set a $65,000 cash or
property bond as he awaits trial for allegedly selling thousands of Ecstasy
tablets. Authorities accused Markland of being one of the largest known
Ecstasy distributors in Wisconsin.

"It's life-threateningly scary to me," said Jim Haessly, director of
student services for the Waukesha School District.

Haessly, who attended Friday's conference, said his goal is to present
students and parents with as much information as possible about the rave scene.

"I don't believe it's pervasive here, but I believe we need to keep our
guard up," Haessly said. "And it's important for parents and educators to
network as well as the kids do."