The Bizarre Reason The DEA Once Tried To Ban Glow Sticks

The year was 2001, an inspiration for many of our fashion trends today. Britney Spears was rocking colored lenses and small sunglasses. Kylie Minogue had just released her eighth studio album, "Fever," which has made a giant comeback on the dance floor today with its hit song "Can't Get You Out of My Head." Legendary French DJ duo Daft Punk released "Discovery," which was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Raves had existed since the 1980s, but with bops like Daft Punk's new release, they were in full force in the early 2000s. In 2001, the DEA sued a venue in New Orleans, Louisiana, using the federal "crack house" statute under the pretense that ecstasy was allegedly being consumed at its parties (via MTV News). According to JSTOR, this 1986 law outlawed places where crack, cocaine, and other drugs were manufactured or used, but it was also used broadly to illegalize any venue that was aware of drug use on its properties. And the signal that the DEA was using to predict which people were using these club drugs was the glow stick, among other items.