YOUNG CLUBBERS ECSTATIC ABOUT RAVE 'CHEMICALS'

Rave drugs such as those nabbed in a major bust this week are even more
popular than police fear, and there's little the law can do about it, young
clubbers say.

"A big rave can have up to 12,000 people at it," said Mark Thompson, a
17-year-old down in Toronto's club core last night.

Of those, 80% are likely on some kind of "chemical," Thompson and his
friends agree.

And that won't likely change just because of a $1.5-million drug bust this
week, others said.

There'll be more coming, warned seven-year Rave veteran Terry. He said the
drugs are too easy to make and the recipes too easy to find.

SPECIAL K

"Any second-year chemistry student can find them (recipes) on the Internet
and understand them," said Terry's 19-year-old friend, Vivian.

Ecstasy, Special K, Speed, crystal meth, LSD, magic mushrooms and Ice are
among the hallucinogenics on the rave menu.

But those who take them wince at police comparisons of Ecstasy to cocaine or
heroin.

"I find it to be a very clean drug," said 19-year-old Derek Washuck, wearing
the expression of a wine taster. Washuk said he's read up on Ecstasy and
thinks it's much safer.

Clubs where cocaine is the drug of choice tend to come with more violence,
Washuk and his friends said.

TO FIGHT OR NOT TO FIGHT

"There's more fights and stabbings there," chimed in a friend calling
himself John Doe.

Raves, on the other hand, are about peace, they argue, and any fights are
frowned upon by the dancing crowd.

Terry guessed as many as 90% of the people at a rave are likely taking some
type of drug. Many of those are too young, said the 20-year-old, adding
he's heard Grade 9 students in school hallways planning to hit a weekend rave.

So-called Candy Ravers and others in their early teens tend to take more
drugs than they can handle, forcing others to babysit them until they come
down, Terry said.

"They just don't know what it's about. But as long as you know what you're
doing ... ," Terry said as he walked into an underground club.