RAVE CLUBS NOT RAVE LOCALLY

Not too many parents in the Tri-Cities are familiar with rave parties. Rave
clubs have been a trend in the nation's larger cities for the past decade
and have popularized a series of "club drugs." The most well known of these
drugs is Ecstasy.

Johnson City Police Chief Ron Street said there have been only three rave
activities in the city, and the last one was more than a year ago.

The major drug problem in the city comes from the abuse of crack cocaine.
Street said that does not mean his department does not worry about club
drugs and rave clubs.

"I can assure you we will be vigilant and we will be a presence at any rave
event," Street said.

Street sees two serious problems with rave clubs. First is the emphasis on
drug usage and second is the youthfulness of the club-goers.

"Many parents are misinformed," said Street. He said the clubs often have a
no-alcohol policy and cater to teenagers, leading parents to think they are
safe places for their children.

While many of the clientele are not old enough to legally use alcohol,
there is widespread use of drugs that are categorized as schedule I
narcotics, the highest category under the Controlled Substances Act.

Ecstasy is a brand name for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA.
According to Donnie R. Marshall, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
administrator, the chemistry behind MDMA has been known since 1912, but the
drug did not become popular among abusers until the 1980s.

MDMA is a stimulant and it also is a slight hallucinogen. The drug greatly
increases blood pressure and heart rate. It also suppresses the need to
eat, drink or sleep, enabling users to dance throughout the night and even
for two or three days.

The effects of the drug and the extreme exertions from dancing at rave
clubs can result in heart failure and heat stroke. In 1998, the nation's
emergency rooms reported 1,143 incidents involving Ecstasy. The National
Drug Intelligence Center says that body temperatures of MDMA users have
been known to reach 109 degrees.

The drug also causes muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea,
blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, chills or sweating, extreme
relaxation and tremors.

Because of these physiological characteristics, rave clubs usually offer
bottled water and sports drinks to combat dehydration and hypothermia.
Street said MDMA users also use some distinctive paraphernalia, including
pacifiers to prevent the involuntary teeth clenching. Other accouterments
for the stylish rave-goer are lollipops and face masks, which are coated
with Vick's VapoRub to soothe their parched throats.

It is also a mood-altering drug that loosens inhibitions, causing the users
to become more outgoing and affectionate. That explains the drug's street
names of "love drug," "hug drug" and "lovers' speed."

MDMA users often use chemical light sticks, necklaces and bracelets to
enhance the psychedelic effect.

Street said that although rave parties are not a problem in the area, they
may become more popular in the future, if past drug trends are any indication.

Street said that drug trends reach Johnson City several years after they
become popular in the trend setter cities like New York and Los Angeles. It
then finds its way to medium-sized cities before reaching areas like the
Tri-Cities.

That time lag helps local law enforcement agencies learn more about the
problem before a new drug trend reaches their jurisdiction.

In an article in The Police Chief in August 2000, Marshall wrote that the
lessons learned in fighting the illegal drug trade have taught "the value
of spotting trends early."

"The cocaine epidemic that gave rise to a national crime spree in the 1980s
would not have been nearly as severe if it had been taken more seriously in
the early 1970s," Marshall said in The Police Chief.

Street has taken the advice to heart. He said his department has been
proactive about possible rave events.

"We monitor advertisements on telephone poles and other areas promoting
them," said Street. Street and Capt. Trent Harris, commander of the
department's Criminal Investigation Division, also monitor the rave sites
on the Internet to keep abreast of any future events.

Street said that if rave events are held in the city in the future, his
officers would closely monitor them. He said there would be uniformed
officers and undercover officers to keep his administration informed about
any law violations.

The JCPD also uses drug information to help keep citizens better informed.
He said parents need to be more knowledgeable about the parties they allow
their children to attend. Landlords of buildings where events might take
place are also provided information.

Perhaps the most important group that needs better information about the
club drugs are the young people who are tempted to use them. Street said
his department tries to get the message out that it is better to be a
leader and say "no" to drugs than to be a follower and end up in trouble.

"It is a very dangerous way to have a good time," Street said about rave
parties. "I would not recommend them to anyone."