Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Growth, Development and Dangers of Raves

            The underground rave scene began in Europe in the 1980s, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Locations consisted of big, empty warehouses that could hold hundreds, even thousands, of individuals.
            Raves came to the USA in 1990 with promoters doing their best to bring new participants and young people to their events.
            Big, dance parties would take place into the early hours of the morning. Raving, essentially, was more dangerous in these times because of how misinformed participants were of the drugs they were taking and of the general precautions one must take to enjoy a healthy and safe rave.
            The real dangers from raving are not what they appear to be at first glance. For one, not every rave drug is dangerous if taken in moderation and precautions are taken to protect the body from side effects.
            When raves began, pills and capsules of ecstasy were circulated through the parties without anyone really knowing what they were taking. Drug dealers, sometimes, were even unaware of what they were selling.
            This uncertainty has morphed into an almost obsessive need to know what a drug is and how it works. Nowadays, ecstasy pills are almost unheard of.
            The true danger of ecstasy is not the drug MDMA itself but other drugs that the pills end up being cut with. Heroine, cocaine, meth and simply unhealthy ingredients were put into ecstasy pills to increase their effects and effectiveness.
            “Molly” and “M1” have become the go-to drug for raves. Both are a white powder taken orally, either by capsules or direct absorption in the gums and mouth.
            These drugs make it harder for individuals to place unnecessary ingredients in them because of how distinctive the qualities of M1 and molly are.
            Drug dealers (and most ravers) now know how their drugs are supposed to look, taste, smell and feel. This knowledge gain has been one of the most distinctive features of the increasing safety in the raving scene.
            Raves have been growing in popularity for many reasons. For one, the Internet makes promotion for these events extremely easy and efficient. Now instead of hearing about a rave through a flyer or word of mouth, Facebook invites to events are literally as easy as the click of a button.
            With the advancement of technology comes cheaper means of implementing this technology into everyday (or night) activities. Raves are actually extremely cheap to put on. The DJs are generally not paid unless they are famous or extremely well know. Lights are usually donated or provided by the event planners or promoters who already have a wide array of rave equipment.
            Promoters are the driving force behind raves: they inform everyone of the location (which they had picked), schedule djs, set up the venue beforehand, among other tasks. The Internet has increased the number of promoters needed for an event but decreased the overall knowledge and actual interest of any one individual promoter. Now some people promote for the sole purpose of receiving a free ticket to that event.            
            Parents are sometimes conned into the idea of thinking a rave is safe if it is warned that no alcohol will be served. This however only increases the number of individuals participating in illegal drugs and doesn’t necessarily detract from anyone’s need or desire to sneak in their own alcohol.
            As mentioned before, drugs may be a considerable danger to ravers but they are not the biggest danger. Dehydration, ignorance of precautions, drug pushers, property damage, sales of pharmaceuticals for nonmedical purposes and individuals seeking to engage in nonconsensual sexual acts are all factors that combine to potentially make raves dangerous environments. 
            Date rape drugs are rare but not unheard of. These drugs include ketamine (which is now taken willingly as a rave drug), GHB and Rohypnol.
            Because raves are focused more around drug culture rather than drink culture, fewer individuals will participate in consuming alcohol, which decreases the overall chances of being slipped a dangerous drug in one's drink.
            Combining alcohol use with drug use is an extremely dangerous combination. This mixture is the one that can cause fainting or even death. Everyone at these events in generally in their own world, so attending to a friend in need is sometimes overlooked because the individual is not even aware their friend requires assistance.
            New drugs have begun making their way into the USA raving community. These drugs are known as the 2c series, which include 2ci, 2cb and 2ce. These are experimental and research drugs that scientists have been working on in order to decrease the side effects of natural drugs. The 2c series tries to bring the best qualities of a drug into effect and leave the nasty side effects out of the equation. Long-term effects of these drugs are unknown.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A Raver's Responsibility


            The biggest event of a raver’s life and career approaches. Ultra Music Festival graces Miami’s presence once a year as it brings 150,000 attendees throughout a three day non-stop explosion of electronic dance music.
            This festival is the culmination of what any raver dreams of attending while they participate in other activities. Their thoughts are always filled with the idea that maybe next year they will have enough money for an Ultra ticket and flight to such a strange land. I thought for a while that I would be able to fulfill that wish.
            I have thought this since I bought my Ultra ticket in November 2011. I just now find out, March 21st 2012, two days before Ultra is scheduled to begin, that I will not be in attendance this year.
            Many factors contribute to this unfortunate outcome. For one: money. Money and financial stability is something that ravers strive to eventually achieve. Organized chaos and collective dissatisfaction at an unstable life are common themes throughout the raving community. Most do not realize that this constant state of influx is a desire to keep change flowing, to avoid the constant and reliable from taking place.
            Sameness and normalcy seem to be the lifestyle that ravers take great effort in avoiding. It isn’t because they seek drama or because they always need something to be happening in their lives. They simply believe that life is more exciting and diverse that way. Anyone can find a comfortable lifestyle and settle down but it is the hard and emotionally-draining experiences that build an individual’s character and make them learn more about what life really has to offer.
            Ignorance is bliss and this applies to the general everyday life of most people: they are ignorant to negative consequences and outcomes that can arise from certain decisions.
            Ravers are not afraid to take these risks and occasionally make poor decisions, deep down knowing that the result will be negative. But no one ever learned anything from an easy life. The individuals that are believed to be the wisest are generally the ones that have experienced life in the most diverse and unconventional way.
            Ravers seek to establish that belief as a life-long principal, always seeking out the experiences that won’t necessarily benefit them in the best way but will help them learn more about what they are truly curious about.           
            I could say that raving has been a part of my life for two years. It only became a majority of my life about six months ago when I discovered the people in this community that I truly belonged with.
            Raving has been a part of every weekend unless I had to make an unusual and generally infrequent exception. One of these rare exceptions will occur this weekend when I do not attend Ultra 2012 because I am choosing to put the rest of my life ahead of raving, a decision few and far choose.
            Attending Ultra would leave me in debt, potentially (most likely) decrease my participation and overall interest in school upon my return, increase the stress already prominent in my relationship with my parents AND cause severe exhaustion and health concerns post-weekend. And the best reason I could give for all of this is because I want to have a good time? Doesn’t seem to weigh evenly.
            The general populance thinks of ravers as lazy, modern-day hippies that don’t do anything productive with their time. I want to point out that this is a lie and social misconception. I am making the choice to put my responsibilities ahead of what I truly feel I would most enjoy doing, a choice I rarely, if ever, have to make.
            Raving isn’t about drugs, partying and getting it on. It’s about the bonds built with strangers that later turn into lifelong friendships. It’s about the trust and confidence built in past friends by experiencing an entirely different atmosphere with them.
            My discontent from missing Ultra isn’t because I will miss out on three days of rolling face and getting wasted on ecstasy. It’s because I will not meet the countless new friends I could potentially have integrated into my life and more broadly simply missing out on experiences and interactions that would help me learn more about both the world and my perception of it.
            I choose to take responsibility in my current life because in the end, raving isn’t my life: it is the phase that I am currently experiencing. Keeping in mind the general concept of how my life will eventually turn out helps me realize what is truly important and necessary for me to do.
            Festivals will happen again, Ultra will go on next year, new friends will be made. For now, figuring out what is best for my overall life status takes preference and this is something generally believed impossible for ravers.
            This genre of person is the most judged and presumed but they surprise more than any other. They know when to truly stop compromising their real life for the side life they wish to extend to all facets of their moments.