On Raves and Club Drugs

Throughout the evolution of popular music in American culture, many factors have been instrumental in the inspiration musical artists. The wide range of sources reflects the variety and creativity of music in the modern day that musicians claim as their muses, ranging from religious beliefs to love interests. However, the primary driving force behind the creative minds in music in the United States has undeniably been the drug subculture that was the largest at the given time period. Without the use of recreational drugs by artists, popular music would have taken an entirely different and unimaginable evolutionary path, resulting in a completely different musical world. Music is what is taken from drug culture to be incorporated and sold

nightclubs permeated above and around me, making me feel as if I were at the

    One of the best ways to fully understand an era is to study its literature. The printed word has the incredible capacity to both reflect and shape the hopes, fears, and ideologies of the time. This is very evident when reading literature from 1960's America, a turbulent period in the history of our country. While the authors' styles are very different, there are definite thematic patterns and characteristics evident in many of their works. For one, there is a prevalent concept of the unenlightened masses. This concept serves as a foil for the enlightened few often represented as the main characters and more specifically as the authors themselves. There also

Introduction - Use of psychoactive substances for recreational purposes is not a radically new social issue. In fact, history tells us that almost every society had their own pharmacopeia of herbs, potions, and substances that not only contributed to healing, but also allowed the user to escape reality (Schules 1992, 4-5). However, it is the contemporary use of psychoactive drugs purchased through illicit or illegal channels and used by persons neither prescribed nor in quantities larger than necessary that defines modern drug abuse (Robins 2006). Prior to World War I, substances like morphine, heroin, and cocaine were available in the major American cities, particularly those with active international ports. For instance, when Chinese immigrants were first imported to work in the mines and railroads during the early 1800s, they brought opium to America. It was the leisure class, who began to experiment with this drug, and, as in Europe, many major U.S. cities had so-called opium dens. In addition, there were a substantial number of "society women" who ended up addicted because their doctor prescribed this drug to deal with female histrionics or to "cure" an excessive sexual appetite (Johnson 2002). Within major cities, this problem began to spill over into other groups: prostitutes, child laborers, orphans, and even men and women of lower social classes seeking to escape the harshness of their lives (Courtwright 2002, 3-19). Between the widespread use and general

They were hoping to learn new things as they were going to Little Rock High. They were being called names and they were also getting hit with trash. The whites didn’t want them to get into the school was being guarded by guards. The guards had to protect them from being hit by trash or being attacked.

When President Nixon took office in 1969 he saw it as a god given opportunity for him to take charge of the country. A rise in drug trafficking and abuse in the 60’s led Nixon to administer the Controlled Substance Act. An act that set to label the addictiveness and medical purpose of drugs by 5 Schedules. Schedule one being the most addictive with no medical purpose and schedule five being less addictive with medicinal purposes. In 1973 He created the Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA, agents who enforced drug related laws and executed the punishments. The DEA also works to stop the trafficking of and distribution of drugs.

The war on drugs was and is racist for several reasons. It was used to jail African Americans and hippies in the early 1970’s, keep more people of color in jail for, and to deport immigrants. In June 1971 President Nixon declared the war on drugs to jail those who would vote against him. Two small but loud groups, hippies and African Americans and hippies were against Nixon. At the time these two groups were stereotyped as heavy marijuana users. After Nixon, jail sentences were then lengthened for possession of marijuana to unreasonable and illogical lengths. Then during the 1990’s, when Bill Clinton was president, the number of policemen was dramatically raised. The number was raised so much that there was not enough money for sufficient training

Beginning with the late 1960’s counterculture in San Francisco, music and drugs will forever be inter-linked. Hippie bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, and Phish are associated with marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD. Modern electronic “rave” , or club music is associated with MDMA or Ecstasy. When one thinks of rock and roll, sex and drugs immediately come to mind. While the use of drugs is not essential for the creation or performance of all new music, it was certainly in important factor for the counterculture music of the late 1960’s. While some of the most important and influential music was made with the help of psychoactive drugs, it was often to the detriment of the artist. Janis

Cocaine Hydrochloride in the early 20th century was used in many ways. Some may say that small doses were added to the drink Coca Cola, that’s where the name come from. I feel as if this is true because Coca Cola is slightly addictive. The original formula of coca cola did have 25mg of cocaine per 100ml of drink. That formula was used as a stimulant for headaches. Cocaine Hydrochloride was an ingredient in patent medicines, tonics, elixirs, and fluid extracts. With the right amount it could save and cure you but if you were given more than needed you would get addicted. Doctors knew what would happen to a patient if they were given to much therefore they created something called the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914.

Alcohol use: Although the numbers have fortunately decreased in recent years, teenage alcohol and drug use is still a serious problem. It can affect the mental and physical health of an adolescent whose body is in a vital stage of growth. Use of drugs and alcohol has often been linked to serious injury, homicide and suicide.

It's 6 o'clock on a Saturday morning and while some teenagers are enjoying the extra hours of sleep, many are still bouncing around to the sounds of techno music. Thousands of teenagers and even some adults gather into clubs decorated with black lights, disco balls, and tons of smoke machines. Their hearts are pounding and their pulse is racing at the speed of light, all compliments of designer drugs known as club drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Changing the molecular structure of an existing drug or drugs to create a new substance creates designer drugs (Kusinitz 151). The all night dance parties, known as raves, are about the wildest thing going from midnight till dawn, and often beyond. Just because these drugs may portray

During the 1980s and 1990s on Wall Street, people only really cared about two things and two things only money and drugs. Wall street aloud young men straight out college to get a job. For example the movie Wolf of Wall Street based on this time period, a young man named Jordan Belfort was a small time stockbroker and he started a small brokerage firm and after a few years it became very big and he became so rich. Drugs in the 80-90s were a very big thing on people on Wall Street many of them did cocaine and quaaludes. The economy was very high so it was really easy for people to get a job and make a lot of money.

Imagine being a part of a world with no judgment, no body standards, no prejudice, and no hatred. Continue to imagine being in a lively environment around people who are loving, and only care for unity and respect between themselves and others. Being a member of rave culture has made this fantasy a reality for many people throughout the years. In this paper I will be focusing on this unique phenomenon called rave culture and its integral elements in the form of history, drugs, personal identity, acceptance, and the constant attempt to improve the negative image of the culture the public eye.

According to Drug Free World, an estimated 208 million people use illicit drugs internationally. Some people take them at home or out with friends, but one of the main places drugs are common is on the dance floor. Club drugs have become increasingly prevalent in our culture and there seems to be no signs of stopping. With how easily these drugs seem to get into clubs the problem is becoming larger and larger. These substances, whether its smoked, swallowed, inhaled, or injected, are extremely dangerous. They are used for their “high” and hallucinogenic effect but are also used for the purpose of sexual assault. Club drugs are dangerous substances that have adverse effects on the user’s short term and long-term health.

(Vopat 303). Another more universal fear that they felt the need to escape was the red scare. ?In ?the great McCarthy hysteria,? flight is the only means of expressing their dissent? (Feied 293). They also do not want the commitment of a real relationship with the opposite sex. ?Free love is rather freedom from love and another route down that same dark death wish? (Vopat 303). They feel if they can escape these bindings of life than will achieve a better way of living. ?Inwardly, these excesses are made to serve a spiritual purpose of an affirmation still unfocused, still to be defined, unsystematic? (Millstein 279). They want to just experience the joys of life to the fullest without worrying about any responsibilities. ?They seek to make good their escape in moment to moment living, digging everything, pursuing kicks with a kind of desperate energy that passes for enthusiasm? (Feied 295). ?They want for everyday experiences something that will give them an exalted, intensified sense of life- that will make them ?live,? that will make life ?real?; they want to transcend, not their actual limitations, but their sense of limitation? (Baro 281). The beats were looking for an easy way out of dealing with the pressures of having a real life.