N.C. Raves: Brain candy
What is a rave? : Brain candy (5 of 10)

 

Audio: Drugs at parties  

 

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Drugs are sometimes used to hasten the trance-like state that the lights and music help create. MORE
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Copyright ©1998 Jim Webb. All rights reserved.


A variety of drugs, including hallucinogens and amphetamines, are a part of raves and rave culture, though it's hotly debated among ravers as to how necessary, useful, and/or destructive they are to the scene. It's difficult to characterize drug use at raves, as the presence of drugs varies from party to party and peer group to peer group.

Most ravers say drug use isn't essential to experiencing a rave. The most popular drugs are ones which enhance the experience of the party. Caffeine and marijuana are two favorites. Hallucinogenic drugs like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms create unusual visual and mental experiences; ketamine, an anesthetic, can boost energy and create mild hallucinations; amphetamines and their derivitaves (like Ecstasy) boost energy for dancing and heighten emotional responses. Alcohol is typically absent, partly because of its effects as a depressant. TOP