An exploration of recent club drug use among rave attendees

Raves are characterized by large numbers of youth dancing for long periods of time and by the use of "club drugs," such as 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy"). While a small body of research has explored the use of ecstasy and other club drugs (EOCD) among club rave attendees in the United States, we are aware of no studies that have investigated the relationship between EOCD use and high-risk sexual behaviors among members of this population. We explored the association between EOCD use and high-risk sexual behaviors among a sample of 283 club rave attendees interviewed during the spring and summer of 2005. Data were collected at 13 rave events in two different clubs along the Baltimore-Washington corridor between March 17 and September 3, 2005. Potential respondents were conveniently sampled and approached between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. as they exited the clubs. Only 12% reported using ecstasy within the two days preceding the interview, findings considerably lower than our earlier studies of club rave attendees. Moreover, no significant relationship was discerned between recent MDMA use and high-risk sexual behavior. These findings suggest that the use of EOCD among rave attendees has diminished and that the allocation of significant resources to combat their proliferation, among this and other populations at risk for EOCD use, may be premature.