Pubdate: Sun, 08 Jul 2001
Source: Deseret News (UT)
Copyright: 2001 Deseret News Publishing Corp.
Contact:  http://www.desnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124
Author: Jay Evensen, Deseret News editorial page editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raves.htm (Raves)

DANCE ORDINANCE NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Sometimes, life imitates art.

Seventeen years ago, moviegoers watched Kevin Bacon lead the charge against 
a fictional city government that had outlawed dancing. The film was titled, 
"Footloose." It was shot against the scenic backdrop of Utah County, with 
its majestic mountains and its Lehi Roller Mills.

Now, true to the script, a real-life group of narrow-minded county leaders 
wants to do the same thing, in the same setting.

Or do they?

Before you break into a chorus of "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and charge 
the headquarters of Utah County government over its new dance ordinance, it 
would help to put the correct backdrop on this one. Don't view it against 
the mountains of Utah County, which can seem, to some, like walls meant to 
keep out the rest of the world. Instead, look at it against the patchwork 
of many other U.S. cities that are trying desperately to deal with the same 
thing. You'll find it is nothing radical.

First, let's be clear. The new ordinance ends public dances at 1 a.m., but 
the issue is not dance. If all the kids were doing was hopping up and down 
in rhythm to a techno beat, the County Commission would have to first crack 
down on all those church meetinghouse gymnasiums that double as dance halls 
and that sometimes even feature older folks letting loose. Then you would 
hear some howling for sure, as thousands of weekend ward-house Fred Astaire 
wannabes cut a rug straight to the next commission meeting.

No, the issue here involves illegal drugs -- specifically, ecstasy, or 
simply "E" or "X" as the hip crowd calls it, and GHB, or gamma 
hydroxybutyrate. Local governments have every reason to be concerned about 
these "recreational" drugs, which are sweeping the nation.

The users of ecstasy try to defend it as a harmless stimulant that helps 
people feel euphoric. In reality it is a highly addictive stimulant that 
causes severe dehydration and, in some cases, brain damage. People who take 
it at parties where people are dancing and the temperature is hot need to 
drink plenty of water to keep from overheating. But they shouldn't drink 
too much water, because that may cause the brain to swell. If you think 
swollen brains sound like fun, you'll also enjoy the dry mouth, nausea and 
loss of memory that some users experience. Oh yes, did I mention you might die?

As for GHB, it is also known as the "date rape" drug. That's probably 
enough said.

These are public menaces, and they are in widespread use at dances known as 
"raves." In Utah County, kids are using empty warehouses and other 
buildings in remote areas to stage these parties. Sometimes as many as 
1,000 people will show up.

Raves and ecstasy all have one thing in common -- dancing. In fact, it has 
become predictable. People who abuse more common drugs do so in a variety 
of settings, but people who use X and GHB tend to do it almost exclusively 
at raves.

Faced with this, communities have a couple of choices. They can go after 
the drug users, which would be problematic amid a confusing crowd of 
hundreds of people. Or they can go after the raves -- applying some 
reasonable restrictions that make ecstacy and GHB less attractive. People 
who use X like to party all night, enjoying the euphoria, provided they 
don't overheat and die. Send them home early and there really isn't much 
point to the drug.

That's why city commissioners in Clearwater, Fla., are considering an 
ordinance that would force clubs to close up and send everyone home at 2 
a.m. In addition, clubs would need a special city permit, which would be 
revoked if police find anything illegal going on, according to the St. 
Petersburg Times.

It's why the city of Chicago, which, last time I checked, had a reputation 
a little different than that of Utah County, recently passed an ordinance 
making it a crime to rent a building to someone who stages a rave party 
where drugs are sold. The Chicago Tribune reports that violators could face 
up to six months in jail.

Lewiston, Maine, has a different approach. According to the New York Times, 
a Lewiston ordinance requires rave promoters to pay for providing one 
police officer for every 250 people in attendance.

The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., quotes the former mayor of tiny 
Shepherdsville as going apoplectic after visiting a rave. "What I saw made 
me sick to my stomach," he said.

Against this backdrop, Utah County's ordinance sounds fairly mainstream. It 
doesn't affect private dances at weddings or small parties.

Will it work? That's anyone's guess. Everyone is searching for the right 
answer.

But it's hardly a radical approach. If the fictional city leaders in 
"Footloose" had offered that sort of a deal, the movie would have fallen 
apart before you could finish your popcorn.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager