Techno Clubs Essay, Research Paper

Techno Clubs

The drastic increase in the number of techno clubs creates the possibility for many potential health hazards. Any person who enters one of these clubs is putting himself or herself at risk. From overcrowded dance floors to drug abuse, there is a potentially dangerous situation lurking around every corner. The scariest thing about these clubs is that their popularity is drastically increasing in towns all across the nation. College towns are an ideal location to open a techno club because the majority of the people who enjoy these clubs are young adults.

First of all, these clubs almost always face the problem of overcrowding. Every single club has a maximum capacity that is normally defined by the local fire department. When a popular disc jockey is spinning on any given night, the bouncers at the door normally do not keep track of the amount of people going in and out of the club. This obviously creates a problem because if the bouncers aren?t counting the number of people, then who is? No one is counting; therefore there is no way to prevent overcrowding that may lead to anything from trampling to fist fights. The fire department sets those numbers for the safety of the clubs? participants and these clubs need to realize that just because they may make more money by exceeding their maximum capacity, they are putting innocent people?s lives in danger. They are also leaving themselves very susceptible to eviction and lawsuits due to any injuries that may occur.

Secondly, these clubs don?t open until eleven or twelve at night and stay open until ridiculous hours of the morning. These late hours result in many people wandering the streets of downtown areas at very late hours, which may be dangerous to anyone?s health. If a robber sees someone stagger out of the club at four or five o?clock in the morning, they are well aware that this person is going to be intoxicated or very exhausted. The robber can easily follow the person to their car and confront them at the right moment. A friend of mine has experienced this first-hand while he was trying to find his car after a late night at Simon?s, a popular techno club right here in Gainesville. He was jumped and robbed right in front of his car. Another problem is that the lack of sleep the person may get can lead to health problems such as the flu and other common sicknesses. Once a person gets into the habit of going to one of these late-night clubs, their sleeping habits may be altered for the worse.

Drugs are in essence what keep these clubs alive. There are a few people who go to these clubs purely to hear the electronic music, but most go there for what the clubs have to offer. When I refer to what the clubs have to offer, I am speaking about the loud music and spectacular lights. Many drugs that are being used today heighten the senses to the point where they want the biggest, loudest, and brightest of everything. The most popular of all the techno scene drugs is definitely ecstasy. Ecstasy is a potentially deadly mixture of drugs like speed, cocaine, MDMA, and fillers, which are other substances that are used just to fill up space in the tiny pill. When on ecstasy, one feels like they are in a perfect state; they think that everyone around them is their friend, they have no inhibitions, etc. The drug just makes them feel really good about themselves and their surroundings. This drug opens countless windows of dangerous possibilities. Not only does the drug not allow an individual to make rational decisions, but also it impairs ones ability to act like a normal, sober person. Intimate contact with other people in the club is a very common thing when on ecstasy. Through that physical contact reveals yet more hazards included but definitely not limited to rape and STDs. Since this drug is so new, there are no scientific studies proving what ecstasy does to the body. All that scientists know thus far is that when on the drug, the seratonin level in the brain is at a dangerously high level and that some actions and symptoms are strikingly similar to those of people diagnosed with Parkinson?s disease. While in techno clubs and on ecstasy, a very large number of people have overdosed due to the fact that the music and lights have heightened their high to an unbearable point; the point where their body just shuts down.

The fact that techno clubs are exposing many people to unnecessary health hazards has definitely not gone unnoticed to the government and local agencies. The ?Anti-Rave Act? is an excellent example of local officials recognizing the problem at hand and taking action to slowly kill this rash of late night parties. This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. There are also similar actions being taken in my hometown of Miami. For example, in South Beach alone, 5 clubs have already been closed down due to late-night parties and the large amounts of personal injuries and drug overdoses that they entail.

Techno clubs are sometimes seen as an outlet for young adults to mingle and hang out with people who have their same interests. From that perspective, techno clubs sound like a great place to be. But once the overcrowding, sleep deprivation, and drug abuse come into play, these clubs are no more than a way to test one?s physical ability to act and dwell in a very potentially harmful environment.