Police and party promoters are warning people against buying drugs at
all-night dance parties known as raves.

``To buy drugs at a [rave] party is absolutely absurd,'' said Chris Bee, a
disc jockey at Lower Mainland raves.

``It's loud, it's dark and you've never met the person who's selling the
drugs. You just don't know what you're buying.''

The warning came yesterday as four people were treated for drug overdoses
suffered during an all-night rave attended by close to 1,800 people at the
University of B.C.'s Thunderbird Sports Arena.

The death of a 19-year-old man, found at 7 a.m. yesterday in Balaclava Park
on Vancouver's west side, had been linked to the rave by media reports. But
Vancouver police said the death, from an apparent drug overdose, was not
connnected to the event at UBC.

``We have found other evidence to indicate that it had nothing to do with
the rave party,'' said Staff-Sgt. Dan Dureau.

The rave, known as Never Neverland, began at 10 p.m. and went until 7 a.m.
yesterday.

RCMP learned of a drug problem at about 6 a.m. yesterday when two girls,
aged 16 and 17, became extremely ill.

``The girls believed it to be Ecstasy,'' said Staff-Sgt. Lloyd Plante. ``It
was capsules, but who knows what's in it?''

Two young men, including one who was allegedly selling drugs at the rave,
were hospitalized with overdoses. All are expected to recover. A 20-year-old
man of no fixed address was released from hospital yesterday and was held in
custody overnight by RCMP.

``We're recommending charges of trafficking in a controlled substance,''
said Plante.

A 21-year-old man was in good condition at UBC hospital last night after
ingesting a trio of drugs -- GHB, Ecstasy and PCP at the rave, police said.

Ecstasy -- methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) is a hallucinogenic
amphetamne invented in 1914.

GHB has killed 11 people in the U.S. in the past two years, according to the
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. PCP is also known as
angel dust.

Last month, an 18-year-old North Vancouver girl and her 19-year-old
boyfriend were found comatose and required emergency treatment after taking
GHB during a Vancouver cruise.

Rave supporters said they hope yesterday's incident isn't used as an excuse
to stop raves or drive them underground.

``Drugs are everywhere in our society,'' said disc jockey Robby Luvduf.
``It's unfair to target raves.''

Jolayne Marsh, part of a group that counsels young people, agreed: ``Raves
aren't about drugs. They're about dancing, music and connecting with other
people. Nobody should buy any substance if they don't know what it is.''

A UBC spokesman said the university will ``take a second look'' at allowing
raves at the arena.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett