FREE ESSAY ON RAVES AND DRUGS

RAVES AND DRUGS

Generally people associate raves(Underground Techno parties) with designer drugs like
Ecstasy(MDMA), Speed(amphetamine) and other acids like LSD. These drugs are called the
Techno Drugs for that reason and most of the time have uplifting and sensatory effects.
To understand more clearly the relationship between the raves and these drugs, we first
have to understand the philosophy behind the Techno era, and a little about the music.
"Techno, can lift the spirit and become a new world of freedom and peace(D'Vox Magazine
The first electronic music Magazine). Most raves are covered with propaganda about
freedom, peace, spirituality and the like. It is no surprise why teens use these specific
drugs at raves. The effects of E, are like a journey to another world, a world of
happiness, love and euphoria (Ecstasy and Mental Health: Nerves or neurosis by Dr. Karl
Jansen) These ravers, have many reasons to take E, for example  The music lends itself to
the intake of drugs, drugs are common in youth culture, teens need energy to dance all
night, the rave scene is bombarded with all kinds of E (Drug Information Database,
www.pharmlink.org/designer/index.html/). 
The media has given E and the rave scene a bad reputation, since 30 years ago music has
been greatly united with drugs. For example Weed and Rock in the 60's and acid in the
70's. (E for Ecstasy by Nicolas Saunders, ch.1) Ecstasy is just a hard and dangerous as
weed, a drug that 1 out of every 3 highschool students in the American population have
had experiences with. (Drug Information Database,
www.pharmlink.org/stats/index/main.html/) Why is E judged so harshly when the ecstasy
related deaths can not compare with those related with legal drugs just like tabacco and
alcohol. (E for Ecstasy by Nicolas Saunders, ch.2) 
Of course the media has a lot to do with it, the media takes all the negative effects and
doesn't include the positive ones.  29 volunteers where asked to assist Dr. Green,
prominent doctor in charge of studies for the BMJ (British Medical Journal), in a study
of the effects of E. (Readers Digest article by Russell Twisk editor-in-chief)
Out of those 29 volunteers they all experienced, unpleasant experiences such as nausea,
sweating and stiffing (Readers Digest by Russell Twisk).  Although the volunteers felt
undesirable symptoms, 18 of the volunteers experienced mood changes, to the best, and 23
of them went reported positive attitudes. 7 of my patients who experienced depression
made more improvement with E, than with years of therapy and other anti-depressive drugs.
(British Medical Journal by Dr. Green Hancock). 
Drugs are harmful to the human mind, and body in many ways, it is also capable of
preventing the body, and mind in fully developing. There are many types of drugs, there
are drugs that slow you down, drugs that speed you up, and hallucinogens. Hallucinogenic
drugs are substances that distort the perception of objective reality. The most
well-known hallucinogens include phencyclidine, otherwise know as PCP, lysergic acid
diethylamide, commonly known as LSD or acid, and psilocybin, or magic mushrooms. Under
the influence of hallucinogens, the senses of direction, distance, and time become
disoriented. You see sound and hear light. These drugs can produce unpredictable,
erratic, and violent behavior in users that sometimes leads to serious injuries or death.
Drowning's, burns, falls, and automobile crashes have also been reported. Some physical
risks include mangled, and unclear speech, decreased awareness of touch and pain,
convulsion, coma, heart, and lung failure. Psychological risks associated with using
hallucinogens is depression, anxiety, paranoia, confusion, loss of control, and
flashbacks. Marijuana is chemotherapeutic drug. This means that it can be used to treat
certain types of cancer. The point of these past sentences is to make a point, the point
is that marijuana can't really affect the body of the abuser's body since it is widely
used in the practice of medicine. The things that marijuana can do to the body is as
follows: make the eyes red, cause brain damage, low oxygen supply to the heart, and there
is a possibility that it may even cause lung cancer. Marijuana might not have any major
long-term affects but it sure has its immediate affects. These are more signs of use than
immediate affects. For example one of them is loss of concentration. A person who is high
(the state of mind a person reaches after the person uses marijuana) may not be able to
concentrate on one thing. This can cause problems with a person's schoolwork since
schoolwork requires concentration. This might also affect a persons physical life since
marijuana can immediately lead to loss of coordination in a humans body. These are other
immediate affects or signs of use: loss of motivation and unusual fears of things.
Inhalants are commonly used by children that cannot afford to buy drug, they are usually
inhaled straight from the bag or container the substance is in. Users say they are
detached from the surroundings and in their own little world when on these drugs. The
effects caused by these drugs are visual hallucinations, severe mood swings, loss of
sense of smell, and nose bleeds. More serious effects can be abnormal heartbeat, slower
breathing, loss of memory, loss of ability to think clearly, and nervous system damage.
The user can also develop feelings of persecution, depression, or hostility. (Dragan
193)
Although the media portrays ecstasy as an aphrodisiac, sexual arousal is not an effect
from MDMA (E), the drugs does not give a man an erection, opposite to that sometimes it
causes penis shrinkage. Because of this, women at raves can snuggle in a very comftable
way. Even if the hugging come from love it does not come from sexual desire (Ecstasy
Reconsidered by Nicolas Saunders, ch.4)  There is more possibility that a person engages
in casual sex after a night at a bar for a few drinks than at a night of dancing on E
(Ecstasy Reconsidered by Nicholas Saunders, ch.4) This also stops sexual crimes and
assaults like rape and sexual harassment in people on E, because they have no sexual
interest. A person who is already in a sexy mood will get maximized arousal, it will be
an experience of sexual pleasure like no other. (Ecstasy Reconsidered)
There have been many different studies about the toxicity of ecstasy. Dr. Ricaurte of the
British Medical Center in Liverpool believes that E is highly neurotoxic and will cause
problems with long-term users, while Dr.O'Callaghan a senior researcher for the US
environmental Protection Agency believes that it is not neurotoxin even in large amounts.
MDMA changes serotonin amounts in the brain and therefore creates toxicity and functional
change, like pain perception, sleep and concentration (Ecstasy: a human neurotoxin? A
discussion meeting Times Magazine interview with Dr. Ricaurte) Although the brain is so
complex as to completely determine if E has affected the toxicity in long term users, I
believe that it does decrease the level of serotonin in the brain, without destroying
serotorgenic axons. (Ecstasy: a human neurotoxin? Interview with Dr. O'callaghan). There
have been many studies, some of them trying to prove that E is in fact a neurotoxin and
those trying to prove it's not, up to now both sides cannot come up with solid answers to
the subject.
It is hard to say that all ravers are on E, but certain the majority of them are.  If a
raver is not E at a rave, Techno has the same properties (although much less stronger) as
some of those drugs. Techno is played incredibly loud and raves have incredible lights
that cause euphoria in the most sober of minds. (Techno & Ecstasy: Music and Drugs in the
year 2000, Times Magazine by Nicolas Saunders) Although Ecstasy is illegal in every
country in the world, I think it will be impossible to stop ravers and the production of
E in underground labs. Since Techno is becoming more popular around teenagers, therefore
E is also becoming more and more popular around the clubbing and raving scenes.