I believe that as the interest in the dance scene increased, so too did the consumption of pills. It used to be that that pills were xtc (be it mda, mdea,or mdma). As the demand increased there was a brief shortage of real quality. This was quickly overcome by the greater emergence of speed bombs, which did manage to satisfy the general market as alot of the newcomers to the scene were not very "drug aware" . Some would drop a speed bomb (and there were some very nice ones around, remember the "tweeties") have a great time, declare themselves 'ravers' and extol the wonder of xtc, believing that was what they had taken. What had really given them the bliss feelings was the atmosphere that WAS the rave scene. The lack of alcohol (and all that goes with it) along with the relaxed attitude of people, combined with the psycological 'peak' (as they believed it to be xtc in the pill) made for a great night.
As the scene has grown, alot of todays party goers take the pills to enjoy the night believing that it is the pill that makes the party go. They do not get the fact that it is they and how they are that make the party not the drugs. Xtc is just a key that lets you enter the music and the light and alows it to enter you. Good feelings come from within not from without.
Put together the fact that more and more dance parties are being forced into the clubs, there are more 'clubber'type than 'raver' type(noticable by dress,manner,ethos), that drinkers are drinkers are drinkers,that the increase of drug busts(thus reducing the availability of quality mdx)has made pills less effective, and the increase of speed/ice availability (which means you can drink and not get pissed as quick), and that more people are going out to get 'wasted' rather than 'off their chops' and it would have to be said that there is alot more alcohol being consumed at todays dance parties than ever before.
There is also the attitude of yesterdays ravers looking down on todays ravers (dont bag the candy kids when you know thats what you once was) look down on drugs as bad (when it is the abuse of the drugs and your selves thats was and is bad). We do turn into our parents, like it or not. They are after all adults, and that is what all you little teddy-bears out there are growing into... ADULTS. Sorry to scare you folks but its true!
Alot of the old-skoolers do less 'drugs' and more alcohol now because they have REAL not fake IDs. Its ok to smell of alcohol when you are old enough to drink. There is no legal age for drugs as drugs are not legal (thats more of an ethical issue and one that has greater respect and effect than law enforced issue)
The benefit of the decrease in xtc consumption is that as demand lessens, manufacturers will increase their quality again to attract sales. After all, drugs have been part of society for alot longer than religion (and fuck with your head alot less too)
Thats it from me . for those who have got this far , i thankyou for doing so, and hope you can see what i say :D