RAVES NOT FOR KIDS: POLICE

Raves and drugs are synonymous and parents should know it.

That was the message from Richmond RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen who was
discussing the aftermath of last weekend's rave at Riverside Banquet Hall.

The crowd was younger than usual, Thiessen said, and there were two people
arrested for possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of
trafficking and trafficking in a controlled substance.

One male raver was taken to Richmond Hospital suffering from an overdose.
An update on his condition wasn't known.

"Parents of young adults need to be aware of what's going on at these
raves," Thiessen said. "It's not the best of places to allow children to be
attending."

"There's lot of things available to young adults and that's what we're
concerned about."

Bobby Ghirra, who runs the banquet hall, said this is the first rave at his
venue for months and he's received no complaints about noise or anything else.

"Our main issue is providing a safe venue and to make sure all the
procedures are in place in regard to the rave bylaw."

"We can't tell kids where to go and not to go. That's a parents
responsibility."

As part of the bylaw, the police are brought in to keep the drug problem in
check, he said.

But drugs are available everywhere, including at other venues such as
nightclubs, he noted.

"I'm a landlord providing a safe venue."