RAVE RISK WARNING PUBLISHED

Four high-profile organizations have come together to warn Halton parents
and teens about the risks of raves and all-night dance parties. "Our
starting point is that young people should not be going to all-night dance
parties because they are unsafe events," said Dr. Bob Nosal, Halton's
medical officer of health. "But if they do go, they -- and their parents --
should be aware of the risks involved."

It's a sentiment shared by the Halton Regional Police Service and the
region's public and Catholic school boards, and it will be expressed in an
open letter to parents that will appear as ads in community newspapers
across the region.

Nosal, whose department has spearheaded the public awareness campaign with
the other three partners, says warning against the risks involved in raves
is part of a larger strategy aimed at dealing with drug, tobacco and
alcohol use among young people.

The joint effort at public education has been in the works for several
months, but the recent death of a teenager at a Toronto rave has added an
element of urgency.

"We have just seen the result of one of the risks of raves -- the
availability of drugs," said Halton police Superintendent Dan Okuloski,
referring to the death last Sunday of Daniel Engson, 16, after he took what
he believed was the popular rave drug ecstacy at a Toronto rave.

"You just don't know what you're taking when you take drugs at these events.

"We're not trying to make it an issue of you can't have fun," he said. "But
there are dangerous things going on at these events and young people need
to have the information so they can make reasonable decisions."

Among the all-night, dance-party issues the agencies want to raise for
parents and young people are:

* drugs are too easy to access;

* fire safety issues are common;

* there is a higher risk of sexual assault;

* lighting is poor;

* crowds are too big;

* criminal activity is often attracted to all night dances or raves;

* and there are also other health issues such as excessive heat and
potential dehydration.

"I don't know if parents realize the safety risks involved," said Lou
Piovesan, superintendent with the Halton Catholic District School Board.

The joint initiative also aims to make local councils in Halton aware of
the risks, in case any of those councils face regulating issues surrounding
raves in the future.

Bush parties are common in the region, but raves and all-night dance
parties have not yet been an issue. Mobile young people do leave their home
region, though, to attend such events in other communities.

Toronto is a popular venue for the events, which usually feature
techno-music and do not sell alcohol. That lack of alcohol makes them
attractive to under-age young people and, says Okuloski, gives parents a
false sense of security.

"That's one of the biggest misconceptions among parents," he said. "They
think there's no alcohol, so it's OK. And when they drop their kids off,
they see eight police officers outside so they think it must be safe. But
the police are there because it's not safe."

Some large cities, such as Calgary and Vancouver, have bylaws to regulate
raves, while in Toronto, there are guidelines for people planning all-night
dance events.

In Hamilton, where raves have occurred in the past, a task group on
all-night dance events expects to present a progress report to city council
in the next few months, after spending this past spring on public
consultation and research.

That task group was formed more than a year ago by the former regional
council in response to safety concerns raised by the medical officer of health.