The “war on drugs” has been a growing issue throughout our society for decades, and as the problem has slowly become more and more severe, the solutions have all seemed to fail, time after time. To be specific, new research has recently showed the Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy (RAVE) Act as a failure because rather than helping the electronic music community, the act has actually been hurting the electronic music community. How? Well in this new research, award-winning sociologist Tammy L. Anderson Ph.D. states how the RAVE Act has targeted the promoters, making them liable for any drug-related incidents at their events, and in a response to prevent themselves from being held liable, promoters have been hurting ravers through extensive lists of new rules (as an example: diplo's recent response to incidents at Mad Decent Block Parties). But to summarize, if promoters do not supply water, medical attention, etc., then they are not held liable because they are under the assumption people are not doing drugs at their events and will not be needing all of the proper necessities provided to them.
Now, with Dr. Anderson's research as public knowledge, the new question is… “What is the next step?”
And to be honest, there is no good answer to that question, but there are three actions we can begin to take:
1. We need free water at events. (Dehydration is an issue all ravers face, sober or not.)
2. We need free medical attention at events in the case of an emergency.
And 3. We need to keep bettering festivals to be a safer place; stop taking away all of our necessities, when in reality, there is room for additional improvements to be made.
