USE OF DRUG 'ECSTASY' IS ON THE RISE

Use of the drug "Ecstasy" by American teen-agers continued to rise sharply
this year, while smoking declined for the fourth year in a row, according
to an annual study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan.

The study also found that teens' use of several drugs - inhalants, LSD,
crystal methamphetamine (known as "ice") and Rohypnol (known as a date rape
drug) - continues to decline from peak levels in the mid-1990s.

The 26th annual Monitoring the Future report is based on answers from more
than 45,000 students in eighth, 10th and 12th grades from 435 schools
around the country.

The lead investigator is U-M research scientist Lloyd Johnston, who was to
be in Washington, D.C., today for the release of the study's results, along
with Donna Shalala, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

During the last decade, rates for using any illicit drug peaked among teens
during 1996 or 1997, the U-M researchers said. Overall drug use, which is
largely driven by the changes in the most widely used drug, marijuana, has
remained level in the upper grades but has steadily declined among
eighth-graders.

Johnston said one of the most encouraging findings from this year's survey
was the decline in smoking and in the use of smokeless tobacco. For
instance, in 1996, 21 percent of eighth-graders said they had smoked at
least one cigarette in the last 30 days, but that number fell to 14.6
percent this year, the survey said.

The report's update on the use of Ecstasy showed it is gaining popularity
in all three grades of students who were surveyed. Among 12th-graders, use
of Ecstasy rose from 5.6 percent to 8.2 percent; among eighth-graders, its
use increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 3.1 percent this year.

Ecstasy is a synthetic compound that acts as a stimulant and also can
produce hallucinations. It is taken as a pill, and its effects can last
from three to six hours. When combined with extended physical exertion,
such as dancing, it can lead to overheating and dehydration.

Johnston said Ecstasy is often taken at clubs and "rave" parties. Like
cocaine, teens appear slow to recognize its dangerous effects.

"Often it is one of the newer drugs on the scene that rises in popularity,
because its adverse effects have yet to be widely recognized ..." he said.
"Maybe the parallel might be instructive to young people today."

The drug is also more available, the study found. While in 1989, only 22
percent of 12th-graders said they could get Ecstasy, the proportion rose to
51 percent this year. Last year, the use of Ecstasy was concentrated in the
Northeast, but this year use has risen in the Midwest, South and West, the
study found.

Other findings this year:

Marijuana remains the most widely used of all illicit drugs, with 16
percent of eighth-graders, 32 percent of 10th-graders and 37 percent of
12th-graders indicating some use over the previous year. Nationally, only
eighth-graders have shown a significant decline in marijuana use since the
peak year of 1996, according to the study.

Alcohol use remained stable. Nearly a quarter of eighth-graders report
having an alcoholic drink in the last 30 days, and half of the 12-graders
report having done so.

Steroid use continued to rise among 10th-graders, but held steady for
grades 8 and 12, with the drug being taken for its presumed effect on
muscle development. Use is higher among boys than girls; in 2000, the
proportion of boys using them in the past 12 months was 2.2 percent in
eighth grade, 3.6 percent at 10th grade and 2.5 percent in 12th grade.

Heroin use fell among eighth-graders this year, but rose slightly among
12th-graders, going from 1.1 percent to 1.5 percent.

Despite the study findings about increasing use of Ecstasy, marijuana seems
to be more prevalent locally, according to Ann Arbor teens asked Wednesday
for their views on the new drug study.

Matt Garabrant, a senior at Huron High School, and Paola Segura, a freshman
at the school, said they don't know of any students who use Ecstasy, but
marijuana use is more prevalent.

Garabrant said he is more aware of its use now than when he was in 8th
grade, at Tappan Middle School. "In my age group, I'm aware of more as I
get older, but not in the school overall," he said.

Johnston said teens across the country are starting to get the message
about the dangers of many of the illicit drugs. "But, unfortunately, they
haven't gotten the message about all of them," he said.