America Backs Down On RAVE Act

Civil liberties campaigners the Drugs Policy Alliance (DPA) celebrated this week after US authorities abandoned plans to make nightclub owners legally responsible for their customers' drug use.

Authorities inserted a clause into the methamphetamine Clean-Up Act last year which would have made it a federal crime to promote "any rave, dance, music, or other entertainment event, that takes place under circumstances where the promoter knows or reasonably ought to know that a controlled substance will be used or distributed', sparking a grassroots campaign from clubbers and civil liberties activists.

"While there was much in the bill we liked -- it provided funding for safe cleaning of illegal methamphetamine laboratories -- we opposed a key provision that would have punished nightclub owners and music promoters for their customers' drug use," said DPA director Bill Piper.

"Well, not only did the Clean-Up Act not pass last year, but earlier this month a new version of the CLEAN-UP Act was introduced that does NOT even contain the controversial provision. This is an enormous victory for the Alliance and our supporters; live music fans across the country; musicians, club owners and activists; and the Protect Live Music campaign," he added.

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