SPEAKING UP

ROCK FANS SHOULDN'T GET AWAY WITH DRUG ABUSE

Why Don't The Kinds Of Arrests Made At The Morris County Rave Event Occur
More Often?

In Morris County, police recently arrested about 80 people, mostly youths,
who had attended a "rave" dance event. The majority of the highly
publicized arrests were drug-related.

Held at the Mennen Sports Arena, the electronic rave was billed as sort of
an all-night dance party, free of alcohol and drugs. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Drugs, including the mood-altering drug ecstasy and
the cat tranquilizer ketamine, are clearly an intrinsic part of rave
gatherings. Raves also attract plenty of less newsworthy substances such as
marijuana and LSD. This is common knowledge among teenagers and young adults.

Drug use at the rave event was not out of the ordinary. It is just as
common at the rock concerts that fill nearby arenas throughout the summer.
Ever since the 1960s and Woodstock, an event our society seems to consider
holy, drugs have remained a key ingredient at rock concerts. Law
enforcement remains visually absent at these events. You can attend
concerts by such popular bands as Phish, the Rolling Stones and the Dave
Matthews Band at venues such as Giants Stadium and Madison Square Garden
and you will find a plethora of drag activity. The fog of marijuana smoke
is enough to tell you something. So why don't the kinds of arrests made at
the rave event occur more often?

One barrier is money. The Morris County freeholders have sent a bill
exceeding $40,000 in overtime police pay to the promoter of the rave event.
The bill followed several newspaper reports that the county might have to
swallow the tab for the all-night police work -- a scary thought for
taxpayers.

Imagine the bill that would result for the thousands of arrests that could
very easily occur at Giants Stadium. Such enforcement could put tour
promoters out of business. Food concessions and stadium staff, ticket
agencies and record companies also would feel the crunch, Ironically, state
and police' coffers would eventually be affected as well. With fewer events
and less overtime funds, would diminish.

The Three Tenors and Tony Bennett can tour only so much.

Morris County's commendable actions should stand as a model for other
counties, namely Bergen and Monmouth. Who should foot the bill? The
promoters, the performers and the concert-goers should pay the price. Not
the taxpayers.

Maybe it's unrealistic for law enforcement agencies to pursue such mass
arrests. But arrests would lead to more parents having sleepless nights and
more kids having second thoughts about taking drugs. The results would far
exceed the effects of most drug education programs because the disciplinary
action would be targeted directly at the culture that breeds such activity.