BREAKING UP A CANYON PARTY

Unless people were there Saturday night, participating in the "rave" party
in Spanish Fork canyon, it would be hard for them to draw conclusions as to
whether police used excessive force when they busted things up, as party
organizers are alleging.

But there can be no question as to whether the health of party goers was
endangered by illegal drugs that were circulating, and there can be little
question that the event's organizers were sloppy and ill-organized.

Communities worldwide are dealing with the rave phenomenon, which has been
en vogue for several years now. Organizers of this event apparently had a
permit from the health department and had medical personnel on-hand, but
they had not obtained a necessary permit from the Utah County Commission,
which is what led police to be suspicious. Police who raided the party
found the usual lineup of illegal drugs, ranging from Ecstasy and cocaine
to alcohol.

Organizers say they had security guards on hand confiscating the drugs with
the idea of giving them all to police at the end of the night. Those guards
apparently were arrested instead. That shouldn't come as much of a
surprise. Police investigating an illegal gathering cannot simply assume
that a person possessing illegal drugs is planning to innocently turn them
in at some future time.

If police were unusually brutal in how they broke up the party, that was
wrong. However, plenty of evidence exists to suggest that the health and
lives of those attending the party were in jeopardy by items that were in
circulation there. Police said one 17-year-old girl was treated for an
overdose of Ecstasy - a stimulant that can cause severe dehydration and, in
some cases, brain damage. How brutal is that?

Weighed against each other, the police's actions do not seem as concerning
as the drugs that some of the attendees were using.

Utah County has developed a dubious reputation as a location for such
parties. It also is a place where authorities have struggled in recent
years with ways to combat the problem, going as far at one point as to
impose strict rules on any dance organizer, including requiring metal
detectors and surveillance cameras. Those rules have since given way to
more reasonable requirements for a permit that at least allows authorities
to monitor what goes on.

These parties generally are not innocent gatherings. Most parents likely
are not aware of the dangers involved with Ecstasy, GHB, DXM, AMT or 2-CB,
nor are they able to recognize symptoms of their use. At best, these
substances lower inhibitions and lead people to do things they otherwise
never would consider. At worst, they could lead to permanent health effects
or death. No wonder authorities felt the need to intercede.