HOLLOW VICTORY

How sad, but predictable, that some intent on making Toronto safe for
big-money dance raves would describe the findings of an inquest jury
into a 20-year-old's drug-related death as a " victory."

How sad they would talk about feeling "thrilled."

Inquests are not about being thrilled. They are quasi-judicial
inquiries into how a death occurred and how similar deaths can be
prevented. They are the living, speaking for the dead.

That said, while we are wary of some of the 19 proposals made
yesterday by the inquest jury into the Ecstasy-related death of Allen
Ho, 20, at an unregulated rave in a parking garage last October,
overall they do provide a useful framework for regulating raves.

Unlike the jury, we would not allow raves on city property. Toronto
has no business in a business so intrinsically linked to drug use by
the young, to say nothing of the potential liabilities for taxpayers.

With that said, we do support the jury's overall recommendations if
they are in place before the city allows legal raves, regardless of
whether they are on city-owned or private property.

This means cities will have the power, enshrined in law, to license
raves and the police will have the authority to close unsafe raves,
consistent with two key provisions of a private member's bill designed
to regulate raves by Liberal MPP Sandra Pupatello.

A legal rave will have to give participants, at least 16 years of age,
unlimited access to drinking water (important due to dehydration
caused by dancing, and, in some cases, drug use) and will have to
search for drugs. Police will have to be hired in relation to crowd
size.

These seem to be the minimum conditions needed to successfully
regulate raves. We would include others through the licensing
provision, such as a requirement that promoters must post cash bonds
to cover such things as the cost of paramedics in advance.

We are concerned that the jury advised against "severe restrictions on
rave promoters." Raves are big business. Do the math - up to thousands
of kids charged high ticket prices to enter non-permanent locations
(few capital costs) with little in the way of amenities other than
often overpriced water and dance music.

So let's stop pretending, as some promoting a lax attitude toward
raves are, that this is all about altruistic souls who just want to
give kids a place where they can dance and have all night hug-ins.

C'mon. For once, city council, don't be so damned naive.