Regulating the Rave Scene: Exploring the Policy Alternatives of Government

Given the recent interest in raves by municipal officials across North America, the intent behind this manuscript is to explore the various policy alternatives that government might consider in response to rave culture and the “threat” of Ecstasy on youth. In particular, the paper focuses on three policy options: tolerance, prohibition, and harm reduction. A discussion of the alternatives and suggestions about the suitability of each one is outlined. Before doing so, however, a detailed discussion about rave culture, its dimensions, and its association with deviance is provided. Given the relative absence of analyses in the leisure literature of rave culture and the regulation of leisure behavior, it is hoped that the following manuscript will serve as a point of departure for further study on “deviant” leisure and the appropriateness of government intervention.