ECSTASY DEMANDS ANSWERS

Ecstasy, the illegal drug of choice at dance clubs and all-night "rave"
parties, is gaining a stronger grasp on teen-agers at a time when precious
little is known about this synthetic drug or its long-term effects.

This from the annual report of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.
Though marijuana use among teens dropped for a third consecutive year,
ecstasy's draw has doubled since 1995, according to a survey of more than
7,000 students in seventh through 12 grades. The number who have
experimented with it is up from 7 percent to 10 percent since 1999.

Or, put another way, one out of 10 teens say they have tried ecstasy at
least once. The growing trend coincides with reports from Penn State and
other colleges, where the once-obscure designer drug has moved into the
mainstream, right behind alcohol and marijuana.

The growing use of ecstasy, among other so-called "club drugs," can only be
addressed by stepped up education and enforcement. And that's going to
required a more concerted push to answer the many lingering questions about
this substance. The anti-drug partnership has found that teens generally
listen when presented with the facts about drug use.

What we do know is that ecstasy distorts reality and gives the user a sense
of well-being. But at what price? Some deaths already have been attributed
its use, and the limited literature on it points to a correlation between
regular use and learning disabilities.

Problem is, the use of this illegal substance is growing faster than the
research on it. For the sake of young people who believe ecstasy is
harmless, that trend must be reversed.