It's like Halloween. You dress up in little cute outfits with glow sticks, you meet new friends and you dance all night. It's a place where people can be themselves. The acronym has become for some an overused clich , but it's still a useful shorthand for participants, Amber says. But it s not all hip music, funky clothes and canoodling.
Drugs are an undeniable draw for many rave fans.
Chemically identified as MDMA or methylenedioxymethamphetamine, the drug taken in liquid or pill form produces profoundly positive feelings for one's self and others. The effects of long-term MDMA use are just beginning to be studied, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report. But a 1998 study by the National Institute of Mental Health revealed that MDMA use may cause permanent damage to brain neurons that transmit serotonin, a chemical vital to learning, sleep and emotional function. Local law enforcement officials say they worry about even a single use of MDMA by a young person unfamiliar with its effects. There s a danger if Ecstasy is combined with alcohol or other substances, and there are the familiar problems associated with driving under the influence of any intoxicants.