Across Alabama, drug induced raves are popping up in warehouses and clubs, claiming the lives and minds of many teens who aren't aware of the dangers associated with current drugs. Andy Hardy, an Auburn police officer and member of the ABC Board (Alcoholic Beverage Control), is trying to find out who is behind these parties and what can be done to stop them.

Hardy hosted an informational meeting at the Centre First Baptist Church April 23. 15 educators and five policemen were present to learn the dangers of this new wave of partying.

Hardy believes that people who attend and host raves are part of a growing sub-culture linked by the Internet. Very professional advertisements for raves come in all sorts of psychedelic forms and appear all over city streets and on the Internet. According to Hardy, finding out who creates these ads is next to impossible. Also hard to determine is who actually rents the venues where the parties take place.

Inside a rave, you will see bright colors, laser lights, glowing jewelry and many, many drugs. The 'raving' teens and young adult's drugs of choice include ecstasy, GHB and ketamine.

The crowds are not violent. In fact, they are all very mellow and seemingly happy. Fights are rare and the party-goers really seem to love each other. That doesn't seem so bad. The problem is the reason the crowds are mellow: they have taken very strong drugs. It's hard for many 'ravers' to judge the size of a dose to take. If someone takes just a small amount over his or her personal limit (which they might not know) they can die very quickly or suffer severe brain damage