Are raves too dangerous?

Crowds dance to Fatboy Slim as he performs on the main stage during day 3 of the O2 Wireless Festival 2008 on July 5, 2008 in London, England.

Emergency room doctors are calling for an end to dance raves at the Los Angeles Coliseum, after a festival last weekend resulted in over 100 people being sent to the hospital. At the Electric Daisy Carnival, which drew 185,000 attendees, over half of those hospitalized were for cases of drug or alcohol intoxication. Other injuries came from gate-crashers trying to rush past security without paying the $75 ticket. While the festival was twice as profitable as a USC game, is it safe to be hosting events like these at a publicly owned facility?

Emergency room doctors are calling for an end to dance raves at the Los Angeles Coliseum, after a festival last weekend resulted in over 100 people being sent to the hospital. At the Electric Daisy Carnival, which drew 185,000 attendees, over half of those hospitalized were for cases of drug or alcohol intoxication. Other injuries came from gate-crashers trying to rush past security without paying the $75 ticket. While the festival was twice as profitable as a USC game, is it safe to be hosting events like these at a publicly owned facility?

Guest:

Marc Futernick, MD, Medical Director of Emergency Services at California Hospital Medical Center