A SAFE RAVIN'

Underground revellers preach how to party

People in the city's rave underground say they're taking their own
steps to stop overdoses and rampant drug abuse at the popular dance
parties.

Several rave-goers got together over the winter to form Rave-Safe, a
volunteer group that hands out pamphlets on recreational drug use at
raves around town.

"Being ravers ourselves, we started seeing a decline in the number of
happy people showing up," said Rave-Safe spokesman Mike Peebles.

"We're seeing more violence, new people coming just to do drugs,
sexual assaults."

Rave-Safe's philosophy of "harm reduction" means it doesn't preach
abstinence.

It offers information about the effects of the more popular rave drugs
- - ecstasy and methamphetamine - and their interactions with everything
from prescription medications to booze.

Rave culture's dodgy media image got darker over the weekend when six
teens - wired on ecstasy, according to police - were taken to hospital
after collapsing at the massive Ascension 2000 rave at the Northlands
Sportex.

Peebles said he believes the negative media attention will mean age
limits for rave attendance.

"And that's probably a good thing. The 14 and 15-year-olds don't need
to be there," he said.

"But if the city wants controls, they shouldn't just point
fingers.

"They should work with us and the promoters to come up with better
guidelines for raves. We need some rules."

City councillors get a look at an administration report on raves
Wednesday. Coun. Michael Phair said the report suggests there isn't
much the city can do to control raves.

"I think we're going to have to do better than that," he said. "Maybe
licensing conditions, age limits, controls on how large they can be
and where they can be held."

Ravers who attended Ascension 2000 gave it mixed reviews. While some
praised the music and lavish light show, others condemned promoter
Defstar for the stringent security, huge crowds and stiff ticket
prices ranging from $20 up to $100.

"I would like to tell Defstar where to shove that argon laser," read
one message on an Internet rave bulletin board.

"If y'all seriously didn't know that Ascension wasn't going to live up
to the hype, you need to take a break from all the drugs," read
another 'Net message.

Another criticized rave-goers who "overdosed" at the event: "Well,
hey, MODERATION," it read. "You don't need to do six Es."