LONG LINES AND DRUG USE NOTHING TO RAVE ABOUT

An evening of euphoria has left nothing but headaches.

Ascension, a Saturday night dance party at the Sportex, has led to
complaints about four-hour lineups and has sparked debate about the use of
drugs, particularly an amphetamine-like chemical known as Ecstasy, in
Edmonton's growing rave scene.

Ten people overdosed and one man in his early 20s was arrested for
trafficking, police said.

As a result, Coun. Michael Phair, Northlands Park and a rave group are
calling for the city to implement zoning, security and other guidelines to
make the events safer.

On Wednesday, Phair will present a briefing paper on raves to council's
executive committee.

``I'm mainly interested in ensuring that raves are a safe environment,
where people can have a good time,'' says Phair, who has attended a rave.

Many ravers certainly didn't have a good time at Saturday's party. Two
local Internet message boards are packed with complaints about the
four-hour lineup to get into the event.

``We're getting so many hate e-mails,'' says promoter Keith Rubuliak of Def
Star Productions.

Saturday night's troubles began about 8 p.m., as 5,000 rave-goers started
lining up at the Sportex's main entrance. Rubuliak says the long wait was a
result of a thorough drug search conducted by the event's 46 security staff
and 10 police officers.

``We apologize for the delays,'' Rubuliak says. ``But given the scrutiny
we're getting from the city and the police, we want to ensure a zero-drug
policy. We don't want to end raves in the city and we don't want to have
any problems.''

But Rubuliak did have problems. At one point, the queue was at least 300
metres in length and people were chanting ``Def Star sucks'' and
``refunds.'' Some people even complained about being ``knocked around'' in
line but no injuries were reported, police say. Two side doors were finally
opened around midnight, speeding the entry process considerably.

Apart from the poor organization, Ascension was marred by the 10 overdoses.
It's not yet known whether they were related to Ecstasy, a mildly
hallucinogenic drug popular among ravers. Rubuliak says he only knows of
five people needing medical attention for seizures induced by strobe
lights.

Phair says he would like to see Ecstasy disappear from raves. ``I think
(rave) management can do a great deal to make it much less acceptable. If
they find anyone with it, they can certainly crack down. And if they find
anyone who seems to be really drugged out, they don't have to let them
in.''

He says the city should also look at whether young teenagers should be
allowed to attend raves. Ascension was restricted to those 16 and over, but
most events allow teens of all ages.

Emergency physicians at the Royal Alexandra Hospital say they're seeing
patients as young as 15 admitted due to complications from Ecstasy.

Dr. Gregg Scheirer says the short-term side-effects can range from
agitation and high blood pressure to seizures, kidney failure and irregular
heartbeats.

``It can also lead to swelling of the brain,'' says Scheirer. ``We had a
case of that a couple months ago and that patient had to be admitted to the
pediatric unit of intensive care at the University Hospital.''

But some veteran ravers think the younger crowd is not necessarily at
fault.

``There's a lot of old people who don't do their drugs responsibly and
don't drink very responsibly either,'' says Mike Peebles, a member of
RaveSafe, a local drug-education group.

Peebles says he thinks the recent drug overdoses could be attributed to
people's ignorance about rave culture. He says a lot of newer ravers think
the parties are an excuse to get wrecked.

In truth, raves began in the early '90s as a means for small groups of
friends to get together and dance the night away, with or without chemical
enhancement.

Peebles says RaveSafe began in order to promote the real reasons behind
raving. The group is now at all major parties, handing out literature on
the effects and risks of drugs.

Peebles says Ecstasy used in moderation can be safe, as long as it is not
mixed with other drugs or alcohol.

``We thought we should educate people about what they're doing to their
bodies and their minds,'' says Peebles. ``And how to make the whole
experience of going to a rave better for everyone.''

Like Phair, Peebles doesn't believe the city should outlaw raves. And
neither do the managers of Sportex.

``Things that happen at a rave happen at a concert,'' says Cheryl Herchen
of Northlands Park. ``It's just a different atmosphere, so to speak.''