Rave parties

Randall T Ecstasy-fueled rave parties become dances of death for English youths. JAMA268 1305-1306, 1992... 

Over the past 10-15 years, the use of Ecstasy has become synonymous with all-night rave parties. Raves are well known for their high-energy techno music and nonstop dancing (Figure 1.3). Rave parties are usually held in large warehouse-like... 

Like other club drugs—including ecstasy (MDMA), ketamine, GHB (gamma-hydroxy butyrate), methamphetamine, and LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide)—Rohypnol is easily accessible and relatively inexpensive. Often, users who intentionally take the drugs to get high at rave parties or elsewhere may not even know what they have taken or been given, which can make it difficult for medical professionals to treat them if they overdose or have a reaction. 

Young people who attend rave parties often take amphetamines ( uppers ) to keep themselves awake throughout the night. Similarly, some also will take Rohypnol to ease the effects of the amphetamine use. Others reportedly down Rohypnol as a cure for hangovers. 

Two cases of pneumomediastinum occurred in people who took ecstasy at the same rave party (31). 

The authors bemoaned the fact that ecstasy is still falsely considered to be harmless by most users. They emphasized that the classic user profile has changed over recent years, with non-rave party use increasing, as ecstasy is more readily available. They also observed that a quieter environment, which is supposed to reduce the risk of adverse effects, did not prevent this woman s death. According to her friends, who had ingested similar amounts of ecstasy from the same supply without any untoward effects, this had been her first experience with ecstasy. Her blood ecstasy concentration of 3.8 mg/1 was highly toxic. As her friends did not have any untoward reactions, the authors proposed that different people have... 

Libiseller K, Pavlic M, Grubwieser, Rabl W. Ecstasy— deadly risk even outside rave parties. Forensic Sci Int 2005 153 227-30. 

Tenamfetamine ( ecstasy, MDMA methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is structurally related to mescaline as well as to amphetamine. It was originally patented in 1914 as an appetite suppressant and has recently achieved widespread popularity as a dance drug at rave parties (where it is deemed necessary to keep pace with the beat and duration of the music popular names reflect the appearance of the tablets and capsules and include White Dove, White Burger, Red and Black, Denis the Menace). Tenamfetamine stimulates central and peripheral a-and p-adrenoceptors thus the pharmacological effects are compounded by those of physical exertion, dehydration and heat. In susceptible individuals (poor metabolisers who exhibit the CYP450 2D6 polymorphism) a severe and fatal idiosyncratic reaction may occur with fulminant hyperthermia, convulsioirs, disseminated intravascular coagulation, rhabdomyolysis, and acute renal and hepatic failure. Treatment includes activated charcoal, diazepam for convulsions, P-blockade (atenolol) for tachycardia, a-blockade (phentolamine) for hypertension, and dantrolene if the rectal temperature exceeds 39°C. 

MDMA and MDEA, or eve, have rapidly become popular drugs of abuse in recent years in Europe and to some extent in other developed countries as well. Over the years, reports of deaths following their use at rave parties have generated considerable public concern. 

GHB has been promoted as a growth honnone leleaser, muscle builder, diet aid, soporific, euphoriant, hallucinogen, antidepressant, alcohol substitute, and enhancer of sexual potency. GHB use in dance clubs and at rave parties commonly involves ingestion along with ethanol and other drugs. GHB has also become known as a... 

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