Posted on June 30, 2010

A fifteen-year-old girl died on Tuesday, June 29 after attending a weekend rave in Los Angeles. The 14th annual rave—called Electric Daisy Carnival—included all night dancing, live music, partying, and carnival rides at the Los Angeles Coliseum and attracted about 185,000 attendees. The girl was taken from the rave after undergoing respiratory arrest and became unresponsive, and was transported to the California Hospital Medical Center where she had to be put on life support. Police suspect that the girl suffered brain damage after drinking from a friend’s water bottle that is believed to have been laced with ecstasy.

The girl was one of two attendees transported to the emergency room in critical condition, but she unfortunately did not survive her drug overdose. A total of 226 individuals were injured and 114 were hospitalized. City emergency personnel and law enforcement are now required to prepare for multiple casualties and medical emergencies caused as raves similar to those caused during such disasters as mass transit collisions.

Raves have become known as gatherings for massive drug distribution and consumption, and usually include many underage attendees. Ecstasy, LSD, and cocaine are commonly used by attendees during raves, where crowd control is minimal and health risks such as heat exhaustion, dehydration, and bodily injury are common. Many major cities around the nation have imposed restrictions upon such mass gatherings due to the large influx of medical emergencies caused by drug intoxication at these events. This LA rave, however, was billed as the biggest rave to be held in North America, and took place in a prominent open arena. The 114 hospitalizations resulting from the rave were mostly caused by drug intoxication.

The LA Coliseum staff has promised a thorough investigation of the incident and is cooperating with police. Following a similar rave that took place near San Francisco last month which resulted in two young men’s deaths, Governor Schwarzenegger has authorized a review of all major public event facilities on their safety requirements.