Pubdate: Wed, 24 Aug 2005
Source: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, UT)
Copyright: 2005 Deseret News Publishing Corp.
Contact:  http://www.desnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raves.htm (Raves)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)

BREAKING UP A CANYON PARTY

Unless people were there Saturday night, participating in the "rave" party 
in Spanish Fork canyon, it would be hard for them to draw conclusions as to 
whether police used excessive force when they busted things up, as party 
organizers are alleging.

But there can be no question as to whether the health of party goers was 
endangered by illegal drugs that were circulating, and there can be little 
question that the event's organizers were sloppy and ill-organized.

Communities worldwide are dealing with the rave phenomenon, which has been 
en vogue for several years now. Organizers of this event apparently had a 
permit from the health department and had medical personnel on-hand, but 
they had not obtained a necessary permit from the Utah County Commission, 
which is what led police to be suspicious. Police who raided the party 
found the usual lineup of illegal drugs, ranging from Ecstasy and cocaine 
to alcohol.

Organizers say they had security guards on hand confiscating the drugs with 
the idea of giving them all to police at the end of the night. Those guards 
apparently were arrested instead. That shouldn't come as much of a 
surprise. Police investigating an illegal gathering cannot simply assume 
that a person possessing illegal drugs is planning to innocently turn them 
in at some future time.

If police were unusually brutal in how they broke up the party, that was 
wrong. However, plenty of evidence exists to suggest that the health and 
lives of those attending the party were in jeopardy by items that were in 
circulation there. Police said one 17-year-old girl was treated for an 
overdose of Ecstasy - a stimulant that can cause severe dehydration and, in 
some cases, brain damage. How brutal is that?

Weighed against each other, the police's actions do not seem as concerning 
as the drugs that some of the attendees were using.

Utah County has developed a dubious reputation as a location for such 
parties. It also is a place where authorities have struggled in recent 
years with ways to combat the problem, going as far at one point as to 
impose strict rules on any dance organizer, including requiring metal 
detectors and surveillance cameras. Those rules have since given way to 
more reasonable requirements for a permit that at least allows authorities 
to monitor what goes on.

These parties generally are not innocent gatherings. Most parents likely 
are not aware of the dangers involved with Ecstasy, GHB, DXM, AMT or 2-CB, 
nor are they able to recognize symptoms of their use. At best, these 
substances lower inhibitions and lead people to do things they otherwise 
never would consider. At worst, they could lead to permanent health effects 
or death. No wonder authorities felt the need to intercede.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom