Pros and Cons of the Rave Scene:

TRAGIC DRUG DEATH DOESN'T DETER RAVER

FROM YOUNG PEOPLE'S PRESS

My friends and I walked into the sea of fun-fur clad candy kids twirling
glow-sticks and embracing total strangers and were immediately carried away
by the intense beats of the DJs.

We were also high on E (Ecstasy), the rave drug of choice.

With thousands of kids looking for a good time, we were packed into an
underground parking garage (locations are kept secret until the day of the
rave) with no running water, poor ventilation, and no air-conditioning. A
thick haze of cigarette smoke, dust and sweat hung over us.

It was Oct. 9. I later discovered that it was also a rave where somebody died.

At about 3 a.m. paramedics carried someone out on a stretcher, holding ice
to his head and yelling at us to move out of the way. We didn't know what
had happened and just assumed that he had either simply fainted from heat
exhaustion or had been sold a bad dose of E.

"He'd have to be pretty stupid to actually overdose on E," said one person
I was with. (Some ravers can pop seven or eight pills a night without
getting sick.) We dismissed all thoughts of the stretcher and continued
dancing.

I've been to raves both on drugs and sober, since I started last April. I
can honestly say, that stoned or sober, raving is worth experiencing. I'm
annoyed when people condemn the scene because of isolated incidents.

Because of the open, loving and accepting atmosphere raves create, I
noticed many youth look to them for the support they may be missing in
other areas. I originally started simply because I was curious. The
strongest factor making me continue is the positive vibe.

I relish the surreal atmosphere at raves. At the one I attended the night
the young man died, people in Pooh and Tigger suits were giving out candy
to everyone.

I also enjoy the fact that I can escape reality for a night and the next
day be the same person I was before. I try to be smart about raving by
getting my friends to remind me to drink water frequently and by taking
regular breaks in the "chill room" (a place where you can rest).

If I choose to pop Ecstasy, I get it from a source I can trust (as opposed
to buying it inside). I take these risks into consideration and manage to
have an excellent time.

Surprisingly, being faced with somebody dying nearby didn't turn me off the
rave scene. It was distressing to see someone rushed out in such a manner,
but I know I'll continue to go to raves as well as do E.

I feel that anything is all right as long as it is done in moderation. I
rave about once a month and do Ecstasy even less often - but when I do, I
make sure that getting sick doesn't taint my experience. There is a
potential risk in everything you do, which means striking a balance between
having a good time and being smart.

The writer is a 16-year-old student.