County officials create task force on safety hazards after teen’s death at Los Angeles rave

LA County officials create rave safety task force

LOS ANGELES — Officials voted Tuesday to form a task force to examine safety hazards at rave parties after a stadium event last month that led to the drug-related death of a teenage girl.

Police made 118 arrests, mostly for drug possession, during the two-day Electric Daisy Festival at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which featured carnival rides, light shows and appearances by techno music star Moby and Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas.

Sasha Rodriguez, 15, collapsed at the event and died at a hospital after being treated for drug intoxication. The cause of death is pending toxicology tests results.

The motion by Los Angeles County supervisors instructs the county Department of Public Health to convene a team of city officials, police representatives, hospital staff and others to develop recommendations for making raves safer and publicizing their dangers. Supervisors also agreed to allow the music event industry to participate in the task force.

“This is a public health issue more than anything else and the best way to deal with public health issues is to inform and educate,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, one of the motion’s sponsors.

Authorities said there were more than 200 injuries at the June 25-26 event, including some who were hurt as people rushed barriers trying to get in without paying the $75 admission fee. More than 100 people were taken to hospitals.

Coliseum President Barry Sanders has announced a moratorium on booking future raves at the historic venue after the event, which drew about 185,000 people. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which oversees the publicly owned venue, have called a special meeting on July 16 to discuss extending the moratorium.

The motion specified that the proposed task force should develop recommendations that mandate rave promoters and sponsors to consider health and safety issues during their planning, such as by requiring private emergency medical staff at the events.

The task force is also instructed to consider holding a public information campaign about the potential dangers of rave parties.

Los Angeles County public health director Dr. Jonathan Fielding, whose department will be overseeing the task force, stressed the importance of educating families about the prevalence of the drug Ecstasy at raves.

“I don’t know why a parent would let their underage child go to one of these,” he said at the meeting before the motion was passed. “When they know it’s going to be all night and electronic music, the chances are they’re going to be involved in drug use.”

After the vote, Simon Rust Lamb, a spokesman for the event’s promoter, Insomniac Inc., praised the Board of Supervisors for including representatives from the music event industry on the team.

“Industry representatives can work with the task force to better understand the realities of the electronic music event industry and help the task force with outreach to the industry as a whole,” he said.

The task force will report back to the Board with its findings and recommendations within 120 days.