RCMP WANT MORE INFO ON RAVERS' DRUG USE

The RCMP have enlisted the help of a criminology student to find out why
drug users at raves are blending illegal substances and creating
potentially deadly concoctions.

According to RCMP Drug Awareness Program coordinator Cpl. Scott Rintoul,
Russell Peel, a fourth-year student at University College of the Fraser
Valley, will be conducting a survey to examine the rising popularity of
"poly-drug" use within the rave scene. "We want to try to figure out why
such a high percentage of people are poly-using at raves," Rintoul said.

The DAP, formed two years ago, has tested confiscated rave drugs, Rintoul
said. "Some of the pills contained pure MDMA [ecstasy], but most contained
a mixture of two or three or more drugs. These kids just don't realize
what they are ingesting," he said.

Peel said he has several theories as to why people are experimenting with
different drug combinations. "If you 'candy-flip' [use ecstasy and LSD
together], you'll get a totally different high to, say, doing a
combination of ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine. There may also be
economic reasons for poly-using. If a pill [ecstasy] costs $25 and lasts
for about five hours, it can get expensive to maintain the high for the
whole night."

However, Mark McLean, a doctor with the Vancouver-Richmond health board,
cautioned that the rave scene isn't the only venue where this type of drug
activity is taking place. "I'm concerned with the amount of drugs
being consumed in different social settings, like nightclubs," he said.
McLean also questioned whether or not people are really taking the drugs
they think they are taking, and he wondered how this might affect the
validity of the research.

Peel said the study will focus on the combination of drugs being used, the
frequency of use, and theireffects, both short- and long-term. He added
that the survey, which will be administered verbally at parties by
volunteers, will circulate for approximately two-and-a-half months.

"I am in no way advocating drug use, but I am committed to getting usable,
factual information here," he said. "We need to address problems right
away, like they do in the Netherlands, where drug awareness-as opposed to
drug prevention and rave bylaws here in Canada-is promoted."