Searches, Drug Use at Pop Concerts

I have been going to concerts in California at various theaters since 1965. Many times at concerts I attended--especially rock concerts--there were various drugs evident such as alcohol, pills, pot, etc. I was always aware of it and chose not to participate but rather to ignore it. (After all, I had spent good money to see the show and didn’t want to be like Dr. Hook, who sings, “I got stoned and I missed it.”).

This seemed fine until this summer, when my daughter went to two different concerts at the Pacific Amphitheatre.

The first one was the Beach Boys. When she went in, they searched her bag and made her throw away her unopened packages of M&Ms; and Cracker Jack.

The second one was Jimmy Buffett. When the lights went down and the show started, you could immediately smell the strong odor of marijuana in the air. This really surprised my daughter. Then the people in front of us began passing a joint, and she really couldn’t believe it. She said she thought that it was illegal. I said yes, it was. She then asked why they weren’t being arrested. I said I didn’t know. She said she couldn’t understand why they made her throw away her M&Ms; and Cracker Jack but let people in with illegal drugs and allowed them to use them in plain sight.

This made me wonder about our values and what message we as responsible adults are sending to our children. For the past 24 years, I have turned my head the other way because I wasn’t participating and didn’t want to get involved. (Live and let live.) The theater owners/management turn their heads because it might cost them money to have a reputation that you can’t have fun and do drugs at the Pacific. (After all, it’s easier and cheaper to treat the possession of M&Ms;, rather than of drugs, like a crime.)

Law enforcement turns its head because these are just petty drug users who usually don’t do anyone else any harm. But isn’t it true that if we didn’t have any petty drug users, we wouldn’t need any big drug dealers?

Maybe someone can explain this paradox in values to my daughter. I know I can’t.

CAROLYN FERREIRA

Yorba Linda

A spokeswoman for the Pacific Amphitheatre responded: “Standard security policy at all the venues is that people may not bring food in. But in this case, a security guard may have been a little overzealous. As for drugs, we don’t encourage or condone that. Security is a visual check--they can’t go through everything. If a patron sees someone (using drugs) and complains, absolutely something will be done about it.”