ALL-NIGHT RAVES, ECSTASY USE SPREAD IN WISCONSIN

All-night raves have moved into the mainstream in Wisconsin, causing
concern from officials who believe the promise of alcohol-free dance
parties are a guise for what's really going on inside: rampant use of the
illegal drug Ecstasy.

Raves feature light shows and disc jockeys playing techno music and can
attract as many as 8,000 youths.

``I hear people say raves are about the music, and that couldn't be further
from the truth,'' said Michael Zweifel, the father of a 16- year-old who
died in September 2000 after falling from a Madison parking garage while on
Ecstasy. The teen had just left a rave at the Barrymore Theatre.

``The public facilities provide a larger format for more kids to use drugs,
period,'' Zweifel said.

Ecstasy, also known as the ``hug drug'' for its ability to make users
ultra-sensitive to visual and physical stimuli, has become Wisconsin's
fastest growing drug problem, authorities said.

In January, 19 Wisconsin counties reported Ecstasy was an increasing
problem. By July, it was a problem in 38, said Robert Sloey, director of
operations for the Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh, has authored a pending bill in the
Legislature to make Ecstasy possession a felony. The measure is up for an
Assembly vote Tuesday.

``It's a curious public policy decision to allow events to go on that are
nothing more than marketing for designer drugs,'' he said.

Another concern for officials are the raves' shift from abandoned
warehouses to government-owned buildings.

County exposition centers in Madison and Eau Claire, as well as Oshkosh; a
National Guard Armory in New Richmond; and an American Legion Hall in
Winnebago County have all hosted raves. On Labor Day weekend, thousands
attended a rave in a Buffalo County field owned by the chairman of the
County Board.

Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, a National Guard spokesman, admits officials were
``hoodwinked'' into thinking the New Richmond event would be devoid of
illegal drug use.

Sloey said the Justice Department is investigating some rave promoters.

``We believe at least some of these promoters are well aware - or a part of
- - the (drug) distributions,'' he said.

Some communities are working toward stopping the events, although some
admit is difficult to ban someone from renting a facility.

Washington County prevented a rave planned for the county fairgrounds;
Brown County put enough restrictions on a proposed event that the promoter
ended up in Oshkosh. Milwaukee police drove a big chunk of the rave scene
out with a mass arrest at a warehouse in 1992.

``My position is that if you are putting them in public facilities, you are
at least in some ways sanctioning them,'' said Steve Nolan, chief deputy
sheriff for Dane County. ``It gives parents a false sense of security.''

But Chris Ahmuty, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union
of Wisconsin, said law enforcement cannot shut down a music event because
some people might be using drugs.

Ahmuty said authorities are ``engaging in profiling youths'' by targeting
raves.

``If you're going to allow classical music, you have to allow techno music.''

Adam Peterman, the promoter of the Oshkosh event, said he wants to clean up
the drugs, but the issue is overstated.

``Whenever there is a techno event, everyone freaks out and the cops swarm
all over it,'' he said. ``Honestly, it's history repeating itself. The same
people who were defending rock music in the past are condemning techno
music today. I didn't see more than 10 people at my event who were on
Ecstasy.''

James Mock, a national expert on Ecstasy, said the comparison to rock shows
is misleading.

``There are a lot of drugs at Grateful Dead concerts,'' he said, ``but they
don't touch raves in terms of drugs.''