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Rave Ban Reconsidered For Coliseum, Sports Arena

LOS ANGELES (CBS) The city of Los Angeles may reconsider its decision to lift a ban on raves at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the nearby Sports Arena.

At a meeting set for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Coliseum's commission will reconsider the lifting of the ban, which was put in place in June after 15-year-old Sasha Rodriguez died from complications of Ecstasy intoxication after attending the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Coliseum.

The commission voted to lift the ban on Nov. 3, but two members of the panel – County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and developer Rick Caruso – asked the decision be reconsidered because they were not present to vote.

On Tuesday, Yaroslavsky and Supervisor Don Knabe, who is also a member of the commission, called for a new set of safety measures at all electronic music festivals. The measures are based on a Department of Public Health report, which suggests:

-- requiring rave-goers to be at least 18;
-- giving wristbands to anyone 21 or older, so that concession workers
could tell who was old enough to drink alcohol;
-- instituting "cool-off" breaks during the show;
-- closing all raves down by 2 a.m.;
-- briefing event staffers about drug overdose symptoms and heat
exhaustion; and
-- requiring that medical personnel be on site in case of an emergency.

The report also recommended making public service announcement and issuing warnings about Ecstasy and other drugs.

If the recommendations are approved, a letter would be sent to entertainment venues and promoters, encouraging them to adopt them. Public health officials would monitor youth-oriented events next summer to gauge the effectiveness of the guidelines.

Coliseum General Manager Pat Lynch said the commission lifted the ban based on reviews of how raves were successfully handled Aug. 21 and Oct. 23 at the Sports Arena.

About 80 people were arrested at the Love Festival at the Sports Arena, and 16 people were treated by paramedics or taken to hospitals. At Monster Massive in October, about 40 people were arrested, and 16 people treated for medical conditions.

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