Biology Forums - Study Force

discuss what is meant by open-air drug markets and raves, and identify what the police are doing to control these problems.

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Raves present a unique challenge for law enforcement.  Strict enforcement often is demanded by the community but will result in alienation of youths from law enforcement.  However, ignoring raves places the youth population at risk of a variety of dangers, ranging from drug overdoses to driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Police also must consider the “lesser of two evils” issue when considering raves which are held in licensed venues compared to those held in unlicensed locations.  Shutting down rave clubs would probably just result in raves (and the associated problems) moving to outdoor, unlicensed, clandestine locations.

There are two approaches mainly used to address the problems of rave parties.  Prohibition involves strictly enforcing all drug laws and banning raves completely.  Harm reduction involves acknowledging that raves and some illegal drug use is inevitable and attempting to minimize the harm that may occur.  Most jurisdictions use a blend of both approaches.  However, the general stance taken by the department will depend on local public and political attitudes and on police policies regarding similar problems.  It is important to consider how the public and members of various communities will perceive police response to rave party problems, especially as the response will be compared with police responses to similar problems.  For example, in some communities, the police have been criticized for taking a different stance on enforcement at raves, which are predominately attended by white youths, than is taken at other events which are predominately attended by minority youths.