ORGANIZERS AIM TO MAKE CONCERTS DRUG-FREE ZONES

Increased Efforts Are Having Impact, Many Say

His eyes bloodshot-red and beer suds spilling down his right forearm, Chris
Schneider stumbled through the crowd of heavy-metal fanatics, seemingly
oblivious to -- or perhaps spiritually in tune with -- his surroundings.

"Damn right I'm a pot smoker," the 31-year-old bricklayer said proudly. He
had to shout to be heard over the guitar riffs screeching from the speakers
at a rock show last week at Verizon Wireless Music Center.

Asked if he'd already fired up some marijuana during the concert, Schneider
replied: "Nope." Then the tall, blond woman clinging to his one dry arm
finished the sentence for him.

"But we're about to!"

The two are just the type of fans whom concert promoters and security
officials in Indiana -- and nationwide -- say they're cracking down on. No
longer, they say, are those caught at rock shows with illegal drugs let off
with a wink and a nod.

The problem was underscored this month when two men died from what police
called an apparent overdose after a show. But officials say they continue
to add security guards and work closely with police to ensure that drug
activity at both large and small shows is greatly diminished -- if not
eliminated.

Authorities said the Ohio men died from fatal doses of heroin, which
witnesses suggested may have been bought during a Trey Anastasio concert at
the center June 8. Anastasio was once the lead guitarist for Phish, a band
widely known for its dedicated fans and acceptance of drug use.

Along with maintaining order during concerts, show officials said,
combating drugs has become a top priority.

"That's the challenge we face with every show, controlling that type of
illegal activity," said Jayme Rodgers, the Verizon center's director of
event security. The venue can accommodate nearly 30,000 fans.

By increasing security guards to as many as 300 per show and forming
partnerships with area law enforcement agencies, concert promoters say they
are trying to remove the old "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" reputation of
the typical musical performance.

"The reason you see this security increase is that we're always trying to
make sure the people who come to the shows remain safe," said Andy Wilson,
publicity director for Clear Channel Entertainment, one of the nation's
largest concert promotion conglomerates. "And it's one of our main missions
to always try to make sure any illegal activity is accounted for, and dealt
with."

For instance, 25 to 50 off-duty police officers from across Hamilton
County, authorities said, remain outside the Verizon center to take
concert-goers caught with contraband to the Hamilton County Jail. And
parking lot tailgating -- another source of both drug purchases and usage
- -- is strictly prohibited.

Although no such arrests have been made this year, six people were taken to
the jail last year on drug charges ranging from possession to selling.

But the added patrols have not halted drug use at concerts entirely,
Rodgers admitted.

"Sometimes, they'll still get it past us," the security chief said.

At Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis' largest concert venue, security is
enforced by a combination of Indianapolis Police Department officers,
Marion County sheriff's deputies, Indiana University police and event
security guards.

Although fieldhouse spokesmen, citing precautionary measures, refused to
reveal exactly how many cops might be on hand at any given show, they don't
consider drug usage to be an overriding problem at their 25 annual concerts.

"It's not that prevalent, to be honest with you," said Harry James Jr.,
vice president of Pacers Sports and Entertainment, which oversees all
events at the arena. Four people in the past two years have been arrested
at fieldhouse rock concerts, said IPD Sgt. Eric Hench. But because of a
federal court order limiting the number of people allowed in the Marion
County Lockup, those caught with pot are issued citations to appear in
court. Getting caught with other illegal "hard drugs" can mean a trip to jail.

The crackdown on drug activity at rock gigs is not limited to Indiana,
though. Across the country, concert promoters say they've been increasing
police presence as a means of deterring all forms of illegal activity.

At least 200 fans were arrested on drug charges in April while attending a
Savannah, Ga., concert performed by Widespread Panic, a group fashioned in
the mold of the Grateful Dead and Phish. Police using drug-sniffing dogs
reported seizing large amounts of marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and Oxycontin
from the crowd of about 7,000.

One organization trains concert-goers on ways to avoid such crackdowns.
Flex Your Right, a newly-formed Washington, D.C., nonprofit, disagrees with
the practice of toughening security to weed out drug users at shows.

Steven Silverman, the nonprofit's founder, said concert promoters are in
essence hiring more cops to arrest the very fans who've paid money to come
to their concerts.

"It's pretty ironic, don't you think?" said Silverman. "It would make a lot
more sense if concert promoters did not send in police to arrest the people
who they are selling the tickets to."

However, even more well-known groups that advocate relaxed drug laws agree
that the increase in security has accounted for a serious decrease in drug
use at concerts.

Stephen Dillon, attorney for the Indiana chapter of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said he's aware of the
decline in joint-toking at local concerts. He said workplace drug testing
and more stringent federal regulations have also contributed to the drop.

"People are a little more chilled about it," said Dillon, whose 32-year-old
lobbying group supports the legalization of marijuana and opposes the
arrest of its users.

"This is not as free of a country as it was . . . so there is a change
there, I can tell you that."

But if there's truly been a drop in drug use at rock concerts, Mike Brooks
would probably know best. The longtime Verizon center stage handler works
nightly at crowd level -- where he frequently gets the chance to interact
with rabid fans.

And he's seen a palpable difference in recent years.

"It used to be 'sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll,' but not anymore, man," he
said while heading into last Tuesday's '80s-era rock metal show featuring
the Scorpions, Ronnie James Dio and Deep Purple.

"Now, with the younger crowds, it's no 'drugs,' it's just 'sex.' Period."