Ecstasy turns to agony
Along with pounding music and hyperactive dancing, no rave party seems to be complete without a third and potentially deadly ingredient - drugs. Rave parties in Hong Kong in recent years have fuelled a spiralling rise in the number of drug abusers aged 21 or under.
A survey last year revealed that a startling 73.6 per cent of respondents who had been to raves were invited to take drugs there, frequently by triad members.
'It is an astounding figure,' admitted Wan Lap-man, team leader of the Hong Kong Playground Association, at a seminar on the relationship between drugs and rave parties. 'It is by no means in line with the original spirit of rave parties.
'In the United States and Britain, rave parties emphasise a so-called 'PLUR' spirit - peace, love, unity and respect. But in Hong Kong, they have become completely commercial events and a hotbed for drugs sold by triad members, especially to youngsters.'
The seminar, organised by the police, Wan Chai District Fight Crime Committee and Wan Chai District Office aims to boost public awareness of the lethal impact of drugs on young people. The Narcotics Bureau has given top priority this year to curbing drug abuse by young people.
The number of newly reported drug abusers aged 21 or under has more than doubled when compared with last year's figure.
'Most of them have underestimated the effects of taking drugs,' said bureau superintendent Chau Ping-sun.
He urged parents and teachers to be more concerned about young people. 'Some take drugs to escape from an unhappy reality. Some just want attention.' He said the main reasons were peer influence and curiosity.
Drugs like Ecstasy may seriously damage the liver, kidney and brain. 'By the time young drug abusers realise the problem, it is often too late,' said Mr Chau.
Lilian Goh is a Young Post student reporter
