Raves: L.A. County Criticized on National Stage for its How-to-Take Ecstasy Campaign
An L.A County health department campaign that seeks to teach young people how to safety trip on ecstasy came under fire this week after Fox News picked up on the Weekly's story about the taxpayer-funded drug literature.
raveprints.com Raver down at EDC 2007.
Jeffrey Reynolds, executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, told Fox the county was taking the wrong approach. He called the strategy "patently unsafe."
"You have to be careful of the message," he says. And what's that message?
The county advises ravers to "Aim low (dose AND frequency) ... Take frequent breaks ... Let your body cool and rest ... [and] Stay hydrated."
Reynolds:
"There is no way to use ecstasy or any other substance like that safely. The reality is they're illegal drugs and come with significant health risks."
The targeted events for the health department's ecstasy fliers are countywide but specifically include four-times-a-year raves at the publicly-owned L.A. Coliseum and Sports Arena, where an strict 18-and-up policy has been instituted but remains an illusive goal. (The last event, Together As One on New Year's Eve at the Sports Arena, saw the ID-checking system break down).
"That [message] shouldn't be doled out to 14- and 16-year-old kids," Reynolds said. "The main message needs to be: 'You shouldn't be doing this and here's a way to get help."
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
