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Right now the entire electronic music community
is at a crossroads and needs your help. When electronic dance music
events first began, many of the events were held in locations that
were secret from the general public and featured heavy illegal
drug
use. Most notably present was the illegal drug "ecstasy." This
created a stereotype that these so called "raves," were
nothing more than illegal drug parties, noise violations, nemeses
for law abiding citizens, overwhelming for medical personnal trying
to treat overdosed ravers, and headaches for police officers trying
to maintain order in their communities.
Many promoters and dancers were saddened by what they saw, because they loved
the electronic music, the intense lightshow, and the vibe of the people at the
parties. Many promoters started to do something about these problems by seeking
out venues in public locations, such as clubs, gymnasiums, movie theaters, and
other public places. These promoters and venues had security and worked with
police departments to create a safe environment.
Dancers started to go to these events, often because they featured great talent,
but also because they felt safer. They did not have to worry about being at an
illegal party with drugged out dancers and no one keeping order. The idea was
that by bringing the events into the public light, promoters could feature djs
of small popularity to the biggest names in the industry, without the ramped
drug use and dealing that plagued illegal parties of the past.
The problem is that some people and many police departments still associate all
electronic music events with drug parties for a variety of reasons. The old stereotypes
unfortunately still exist, because many people in the public are uninformed about
the strides the scene has made, second, some people do not like the music and
use the stereotypes to unjustly sway the public, attempting to eliminate dance
music parties all together, and third we still have irresponsible people who
by continuing to act irresponsibly, reinforce old stereotypes, and in the process
are ruining it for the majority of us who are there to enjoy the music, not the
drugs.
The fact of the matter is that when you decide to use or sell drugs at a party,
not only are you inflicting great damage to your body, or the body of another,
but you are helping destroy the electronic music scene that so many people have
devoted their lives to create. These same problems are present in other parts
of society, yet these segments do not seem to be held to the same standard. However,
in the end it is irrelevant. We are all better than that, and we should be able
to enjoy electronic music without destroying our bodies in the process. The scene
is full of responsible law abiding people, and we should strive for nothing but
the best, a scene that features uplifting electronic music without illegal drug
use.
While you can't change the world, you can change it one person at a time, starting
with yourself. Go to the following websites; educate yourself, your family, and
your friends about the dangers of legal drug abuse and illegal drug use. There
is no place for irresponsible or illegal activity anywhere, much less at dance
music parties. By being responsible and educating yourself and others, the scene
can not only have a better public perception, but be a model for the rest of
society. We can show that it is possible to dance, interact with one another,
and most importantly have fun without illegal drug use.
Thank you and dance safe.
http://www.freevibe.com -
Drug education for teens
http://www.intheknowzone.com -
Drug information for kids and parents alike.
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov -
Office of National Drug Control Policy
http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org -
Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free |
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