AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN RAVE OUTSIDE POTOSI

The second night of a marathon rave outside Potosi, Mo., got abruptly
canceled Saturday night by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, and 150
partygoers were detained for more than two hours as authorities searched
for drugs.

An undercover investigation of the first night of the party, which drew 800
to 1,000 young people, turned up "kids using every kind of drug you can
imagine," said Washington County Sheriff Gary Yount.

The results of the investigation prompted law enforcement officials to get
a warrant and return the second night to block the festivities and search
for drugs.

The party was scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Yount said members of his
department, the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Potosi police department
"got there early, around 8 or 8:30 p.m., so there weren't that many of them
there yet. We detained them all, but we only arrested four -- three on
misdemeanor drug charges and one girl from Ballwin on a warrant for a
traffic violation."

The average age of the partygoers was 18 to 20, Yount said, and they came
from "just all over, just everywhere."

Arthur Cook, who is director of the St. Louis chapter of a group called
Dancesafe, charged that police searched people against their will.

The event was billed as a benefit for Dancesafe on a local rave Web site,
with tickets costing $17. The event was hosted by Divine Productions, Cook
said.

Dancesafe works to protect the health of young people who attend raves,
Cook said. The parties, which are marked by long hours of dancing to loud,
electronic music, often include use of illegal drugs like Ecstasy.

"We try to educate people on drug information, safe sex and hearing loss,"
he said. "We try to make it so they can make informed decisions. These kids
have already chosen to do this drug, so we aren't telling them to do this
drug," he said. "We're trying to reduce the harm kids are doing to themselves."

Dancesafe also sells drug-testing kits to help young people make sure their
Ecstasy is not contaminated with dangerous chemicals, including one known
as PMA, that can be lethal, Cook said.

"We sell the kits to people at the cost of $20, and they can come up to our
booth at events and get their drugs tested there. That's because it's at
these events that kids are doing themselves harm," he said.

The event was set to take place from 10 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday on
property off Highway 8 near Potosi, Cook said.

He said authorities at the site claimed to have a search warrant, but they
did not show it when he asked to see it.

He said the sheriff's deputies, some of whom refused to identify
themselves, held the young people in difficult circumstances. "They
wouldn't let anybody get up and use the bathroom," he said. "They wouldn't
let anybody leave."

He said, "The police assume that because these are young kids they don't
know all the rights they have."

Sheriff Yount said the search for contraband was handled properly. He said
law officers found marijuana and some unidentified pills that will be tested.

Cook said that by midnight, people were allowed to leave, but it was clear
the rave was not going to happen.