Follow“This is what I’ve been waiting three years for,” I thought to myself as my friends and I entered the Greek Theatre for Mad Decent Block Party. After maneuvering between tightly packed bodies—a skill I picked up as a New Yorker—I was right by the railing, feeling the rush of anxiety and exhilaration that always comes before a concert.
I could tell you about dancing 10 feet away from the heavenly Dillon Francis, getting squashed between countless bodies all at once in the mosh pit, and still feeling absolute bliss amidst all the sweat and profuse weed, but I’d rather talk about how fellow concert-goers popped pills six inches from my face, and how dozens were carried to the medical tent due to drug use and exhaustion.
At one point, my own friend needed assistance due to extreme dehydration, and as I pulled back the flap of the medical tent to search for her, I was met with a behind-the-scenes view of music festivals: several rows of teenagers lying on cots, some shaking uncontrollably, others purple in the face, and others unconscious.
Hit with the initial shock of witnessing my peers in such a state, I couldn’t help but wonder what drove so many young adults to abuse substances, especially at electronic music festivals.
EDM, or electronic dance music, refers to a multitude of genres spanning house, trap, trance, and techno music. Electronic dance music festivals, such as EDC, Electric Zoo, and Ultra Music Festival, have rocketed in popularity within the last few years, and the rave scene has established a culture uniquely its own.
While many concert goers, like myself, attend for the music and an opportunity to let loose from daily life—many others attend EDM festivals for the experience, often with drug use in the equation.
Ecstasy, Molly, E, “hug,” “beans,” “XTC,” “clarity,” “X,” “lover’s speed,” “hug drug,” and “Adam” are all street names for MDMA, a synthetic drug that stimulates the brain and causes psychedelic hallucinations. MDMA is considered a Schedule I substance by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning it can easily be abused and provides no medical benefit.
Molly causes the brain to release large amounts of seratonin, which are responsible for the “high” and affectionate sensations. However, it can take the brain up to a week to restore seratonin levels; until then, mild depression has been reported as a side effect. The influx of seratonin causes an imbalance among brain receptors and alters brain chemistry, a consequence still largely ambiguous in its lasting effects.
Molly can cause muscle tension, faintness and chills, teeth grinding, and impaired judgment. Short term effects, lasting up to a week after use, can include irritability, insomnia, inability to concentrate, and aggression.
Long term effects include heart attacks, seizures, and damage to areas of the brain responsible for regulating sleep, conscious thought, and emotion. Contrary to what dealers or even your peers will say, even small amounts of ecstasy can cause permanent damage to the central nervous system.
A UC Berkeley student remembers the first time she used the drug at a summer concert. “I was nervous so I didn’t take a normal dosage that would get someone ‘rolling,’ but I definitely felt it enough to understand that my body was in a different state.” When asked if side effects were worth the experience, she agreed: “I’ve had many friends do Molly and they are all okay, so those possible side effects don’t really hit close to home.”
The problem with Molly is that users have no guarantees on what the drug contains. The form sold on streets or at raves is not purely MDMA, but rather a concoction of various untested chemicals and drugs. According to CNN, the DEA confirmed that only 13% of Molly seized in the New York contained traces of MDMA; even then, the pill or powder was often laced with other drugs.
Various music festivals, including the annual Electric Daisy Carnival, face public scrutiny due to an abundance of drug incidents: in 2010, a 15-year-old female died of an overdose at EDC Los Angeles; in 2011, a teenager died after attending the festival in Dallas; in 2012, two individuals passed away due to drug related accidents after EDC in Las Vegas.
Only months ago, two Las Vegas EDC attendees, Anthony Anaya and Montgomery Tsang, were pronounced dead the Saturday of the festival weekend. According to Rolling Stone, Las Vegas Police Department received 250 medical calls on the first night of EDC, some resulting in hospitalization.
Following the deaths of two attendees at Electric Zoo in New York City last summer, the media doubted whether the festival would continue. This year, Randall’s Island welcomed back thousands of ravers—along with drug-sniffing dogs and narcotics officers. Attendees were required to watch a video about the dangers of substances, such as Molly.
The government has taken measures to control the abuse of substances like Molly. In July 2012, Congress passed the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act, banning 26 compounds. However, chemists in the US and abroad can easily alter the formula and create a drug compound with similar effects. Hopefully, the DEA will continue to take preventive measures against a widespread problem especially prevalent among our own generation.
“Personally, I’m weary of trying anything that could be addictive since I have a family history of addictive behavior,” University of Rochester student Brittany Bernstein says. “Life is valuable and it’s not worth trying anything that could potentially diminish its value.”
Some artists broadcast and even glamourize the use of drugs within popular hits, such as Cedric Gervais’s “Molly” and Soulja Boy’s “Molly With That Lean.” Although there is a tendency to blame EDM artists for promoting drug use within the rave culture, the decision to “roll” is entirely up to each individual.
“There’s drugs and alcohol in every music genre. It’s nothing new,” remarked DJ/producer Sebastian Ingrosso in an interview with Billboard. “It’s a terrible thing that kids need to take drugs to enjoy something. I enjoy music without any kind of substance and I wish that all other people could do the same, because when you’re sober and you get high on the music you can really feel it and get what’s going on.”
Ingrosso emphasized the necessity, as a performer, to set an example for his huge fan base: “I don’t think that the rock ‘n’ roll thing with people being fucked up is cool anymore. It’s fucking cool to be a nerd.”
More dance music artists are vocalizing their opinions on prevalent drug use, but not in the traditional “Don’t do drugs” cliché.
In 2011, DJs/producers Kaskade, A-Trak, Apl.de.ap. of Black Eyed Peas, Tommie Sunshine, and Steve Aoki warned viewers of ecstasy’s consequences, and gave advice on how to stay responsible.
Simply educating young people to stay safe, and look out for their fellow peers under the influence, can also go a long way in spreading awareness.
With that, whether or not you decide to use is a widely personal choice—but just take it from an avid concert-goer that any event can definitely be enjoyable without using substance, especially when you’re in the company of great friends and concert vibes.
Image source: Youth Services SL
No Comments