cannabisnews.com: Florida Cracks Down on Rave Parties





Florida Cracks Down on Rave Parties
Posted by FoM on October 16, 1999 at 06:28:38 PT
Source: CNEWS
It's a typical rave: loud, throbbing dance music, hundreds of young people and drugs. Fade Kainer, 23, a musician, said he doesn't see anything strange in the all-night dance party on South Beach. "I don't know if it's any worse than living in the '60s." 
But Florida authorities say the parties and their problems are among the worst in the country. They are cracking down. Statewide raids this month at 57 raves netted 1,219 arrests and nearly $9.4 million US in drugs, weapons, vehicles and cash. Agents also said they seized nearly 49,000 doses of various drugs during the recent Operation Heat Rave, with an estimated value of $1.2 million. State officials have blamed Florida's popularity on its international connections and the flow of tourists, especially from Europe where raves are very popular. "Florida is on the cutting edge of focusing on this as a public health issue," said Rob Housman, a spokesman for White House drug policy co-ordinator Gen. Barry McCaffrey. His office lauded the recent crackdown and said that law enforcement officials across the country were beginning to pay more attention to the scene and to synthetic drugs popping up everywhere from desert parties in Arizona to clubs in New York City. The current alphabet soup of designer drugs with names such GHB, MDMA and Special K are more potent, more available and in some combinations, more deadly than most of the substances floating around during the '60s. Florida officials say there have been six rave-related drug deaths around the state, including two this summer. Lollipops and baby pacifiers are used by some in the rave drug set because any product containing methamphetamine, such as the hallucinogen Ecstasy, cause one's teeth to grind. Authorities say Ecstasy, also called Adam, is the drug of choice for those involved with the club music and rave scene. Many raves attract a younger crowd by advertising that alcohol is not sold on the premises. The young people who enjoy raving say it isn't fair to reduce their culture to a mere drug fest. Jenny Margolis, 17, said the scene promotes peace, love, unity and respect. But she acknowledges it is overshadowed by excessive drug use. "The music brings people together and the drugs pull them apart," she said. "I don't go out to get messed up anymore." Several Florida cities have taken steps to regulate or ban raves, including Orlando and Tampa. Some say the efforts have merely forced the parties to move to warehouses, homes and other locations. "If they put an all-out ban on these shows, things are going to get a lot more dangerous," said Jason Donovan, an organizer of the Zen Festival in Coconut Grove last month. "If you try and tell a young person not to do something, they're going to want to do it even more."  October 16, 1999 Copyright © 1999, Canoe Limited Partnership. 
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Comment #8 posted by sarah DANVER on August 04, 2001 at 18:57:57 PT:
Need help
I THINK IT IS STUPID FOR ORANGE COUNTY, FL TO BE BANNING RAVE CLUBS. CYBERZONE WAS TIGHT WHEN I USE TO GO, ALL THE ONES IN DAYTONA ARE SHUT DOWN. I NEED SOME INFO ON CYBERZONE OR WHAT EVER THE NEW NAME IS AUROURA OR HOWEVER ITS SPELLED FOR MY RESEARCH PAPER AT SCHOOL, IF ANY ONE HAS SOME NEWSPAPER CLIPS THEY CAN SCAN AND SEND TO ME OR AN UPDATE OF WHATS GOING ON WITH ALL THIS...AND CHECK THIS OUT WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/FALMAC SIGN IT ALL RAVERS AND HELP US OUT!!!!!!!!IF ANYONE HAS COMMENTS YOU COULD SEND TO SHOW HOW STRONGLY RAVERS FEEL ABOUT THIS BAN SEND THEM TO ME TO PUT IN MY PAPER, NO CUSSING THOUGH ITS COLLEGE YA KNOW...THANKS PEACE
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Comment #7 posted by Christina on July 31, 2001 at 13:14:21 PT:
Im a Raver and yeas I do suck a Pacifier
I have been to over a dozen raves in the past year and i probably have only been high twice, so I guess I am confuse don why everyone think Raves are so bad. And although pacifiers are great to have when on X, their also good just to have them, its part of the rave image like Kandy (lots of coulerful jewlry) and baggy pants and skirts. We wear tight cartoon shirts and plastic beads, yes we suck on pacifiers and eat lots of lolipops and sweetarts, but we are there for the music, its the rhythem that takes you to a natural high not the drugs. Just don't judge before you know. Peace Happiness and Love
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Comment #6 posted by Erin on May 23, 2001 at 09:40:53 PT:
Lollipops and E
People take lollipops while on E because their jaw tends to lock like a pitbull. Also your tongue tends to suck on your mouths ceiling. To prevent from bitting yourself or having any pain from this effect people suck on candy.
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Comment #5 posted by Hon on February 01, 2001 at 06:17:24 PT
Banning is not the solution
any party, festival, clubs, raves u go to r going to haave drugs, is sad to see that just because there is a problem, the only solution is to "BAN" this and that, there are solution to problems ,it just makes it worst if its "BANNED"
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Comment #4 posted by specialk on January 24, 2001 at 18:40:44 PT:
it's all bout the music
bannin our raves is like takin a child from it's mother, there are some of us who really do come to dance and listen to some phat beats and rythms. You may never understand our reasons or even our behavior but don't question our beliefs.
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Comment #3 posted by kmh on November 01, 2000 at 04:04:31 PT:
Ecstasy and baby pacifiers
Can anyone e-mail me information why kids suck on pacifiers while usind Ecstasy?
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Comment #2 posted by imagine on July 30, 2000 at 03:05:56 PT:
its all about the music for some
not all of us use drugs at raves those are people who are into drugs and use raves as an excuse to use them. raves are somewhere they can do them. but its not fair for us who dont use drugs to be stereotyped as that. 
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on October 17, 1999 at 14:54:01 PT
The last sentence says it all...
Whereas, if you tell them the bald, un-alloyed facts, they are more likely to listen. But that requires an uncommon degree of honesty, not just from parents, but educators, civic leaders... and politicians.Which is why I would not hold my breath waiting for the last one.
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