Following the deaths of two young women due to drug overdoses on the first night of
HARD Summer Music Festival in Pomona, California, many are
calling for a ban  on so called “drug-fueled raves” in Los Angeles County. This evening,
Insomniac Founder and CEO
Pasquale Rotella posted to his Instagram account, responding to the negative way electronic dance music events have been portrayed in mainstream media in recent weeks. There was also
a death at Insomniac’s flagship event , EDC Las Vegas. Rather than try and summarize Rotella’s words, we will let the post speak for itself.
I’ve been incredibly saddened by yet another loss of life that’s been attributed to our culture, and I have spent the last week reflecting on how the story has played out in the media. First and foremost, my heart goes out to the friends and family of those two young women. We don’t condone or tolerate drug use, but the problem here isn’t raves or dance music, or even festivals in general. The health impact of drug abuse in our country extends far beyond what happens at our events. I lost five friends to drug overdoses at a young age, none of which occurred at dance music festivals; most of them weren’t even fans of the genre. No one wrote about them. Dance culture has survived for decades and has never been more popular. Banning these events at facilities where we are able to provide first-rate medical care and emergency services is not the answer. I hope that policymakers and the media do not turn their backs on a cultural movement that is thriving and brings so much happiness to a generation that, quite frankly, needs an environment where they can feel loved and accepted. Most just want healthy interaction with their peers. I know that if I didn’t have access to this community growing up, my life would have taken a much different turn. I see nothing but great opportunity within large gatherings; opportunity to promote health, happiness, individuality, and human connection. If we’re trying to create a safe and secure environment for these passionate fans, sending them back into the unregulated underground isn’t a step in the right direction. We all need to do our part in creating a national dialogue that educates our youth and encourages them to be accountable for their choices—especially when it comes to drugs. #ThoseWhoCriticizeOurGenerationForgetWhoRaisedIt #tagorrepostifyoufeelme
A photo posted by Pasquale Rotella ✌ (@pasqualerotella) on Aug 11, 2015 at 2:16pm PDT
