Molly Deaths: A Product of the Rave Culture/Drug War Impasse

• In Event: 306 - Regular Session. Cultural Studies 4: The Production and Circulation of Culture

Abstract

Olivia Rotondo and Jeremy Russ were excited for New York’s 2013 Electric Zoo festival Labor Day weekend. A few hours into the party, both were pronounced dead from MDMA overdoses. The renewed popularity of electronic dance music and rave culture has spawned a lucrative global industry riddled with complications for consumers. Could a controversial law from the 20th century’s drug war be making matters worse? This article explores the modern-day complications of ill-conceived federal laws and their clash with modern music scenes and cultures.

Author

• Tammy L. Anderson, University of Delaware