Pubdate: Mon,  5 Feb 2001
Source: Alaska Highway News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Sterling Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  9916 - 98 St., Fort St. John, B.C. V1J 3T8
Fax: (250) 785-3522
Website: http://www.canada.com/britishcolumbia/fortstjohn/
Author: Jeff Sloychuk

PRESENTATION READIES LOCAL RCMP FOR RAVE SCENE

Club drugs may not have fully descended on Fort St. John yet, but when they 
do, RCMP will be ready.

Any recent rumblings of Fort St. John playing host to a rave presently 
remain unfounded, but local police will have a better understanding of the 
electronic music phenomena thanks to a presentation delivered by Cpl. Scott 
Rintoul of RCMP Drug Awareness Vancouver, said local Sgt. Larry Flath.

"Our main objective in the whole process is safety to the general public," 
said Flath. "On behalf of the detachment, I would like to thank Corporal 
Rintoul for speaking with us (Friday)."

Rintoul has been in attendance at over 70 rave parties, including the 
Richmond, B.C. stop of internationally-known United Kingdom DJ Paul 
Oakenfold. He tells of an autograph signed for him by world-class DJ Ann 
Savage and of the hypnotic sound and lights one finds at a rave.

But Rintoul also tells of the horrors many of the drugs associated with the 
rave and club scenes can bring, and the explosively dangerous combinations 
found at a party.

"It's a real dog's breakfast, what's out there," said Rintoul.

While "club drugs" range from established drugs such as LSD or marijuana to 
designer drugs such as MDMA (ecstasy) or methamphetamine (crystal meth, 
jib) to even anesthetics such as ketamine (special k), all of the compounds 
have been found to contain combinations that are different from what the 
buyer believes them to be. Police have uncovered that dealers knowingly 
sold PCP, Ketamine, DXM, MDA, MDE and Methamphetamine combinations as 
ecstasy to unsuspecting buyers, said Rintoul.

"Kids will eat this stuff up without knowing what it is," said Rintoul, 
adding, "If you want to stay alive, you never mix alcohol and these 
chemical drugs."

While the origin of raves in Europe brought about the stereotypical 
definition of a rave as being a drug-saturated event, Rintoul stressed that 
not all ravers participate in drug use.

Besides, like it or not, raving and dance culture isn't going anywhere, he 
said.

"It is the music of the millennium," said Rintoul. "Rave music is certainly 
here for awhile."
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