ECSTASY: 'X' No Longer Is The Unknown Drug

On a morning in early May, Shreveport police narcotics Lt. Mark Holley gets
a dose of reality about a growing drug trend - Ecstasy.

"We had three back-to-back (reports) this morning," Holley said. "We got a
few reports before, but getting three at one time raises your eyebrows a
little bit."

Ten years ago, Ecstasy was barely a blip on the radar screen, merely a club
drug used by college-age ravers in large American cities. Over the past
three years Ecstasy use among teen-agers nationwide has increased 71 percent.

Now, Northwest Louisiana communities are among hundreds of cities facing
the consequences of X - users' short-term health problems and long-term
brain damage, law enforcement's role in what appears to be a losing battle,
and increased trafficking of a dangerous drug.

Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force agents seized 21 pills May 15 on
Randolph Street.

Six months ago, DEA agents dismantled an international Ecstasy smuggling
ring with ties to Natchitoches and recovered more than 5,000 pills intended
for local consumption.

It's area law enforcement's biggest Ecstasy bust to date.

Nine people, including three Dutch nationals, were arrested in that
operation. Two of those arrested, 24-year-old ringleader Lowray Matthew
Chachere of Many and Dutch national Widad Sitti, have since pleaded guilty
in federal court in Shreveport to conspiracy charges.

"There's no doubt some of that Ecstasy is destined for this area," Holley said.

Just last month, agents discovered another distribution plot. Edward Martin
Bass, a Bossier City jeweler, was arrested on drug trafficking and
conspiracy charges. He allegedly conspired to import Ecstasy and LSD from
Belgium. He received the LSD, authorities say, but instead of Ecstasy got
three pounds of a methamphetamine mixture. The entire shipment's street
value was estimated at more than $500,000.

Across the nation, activity is on the rise:

- -- National Drug Enforcement Administration statistics show that in 2001,
agents seized nearly 58 times the number of Ecstasy pills seized in 1997 -
4,616,554 pills up from 79,600.

- -- Ecstasy arrests - 77 in 1997 - showed a more than 24-fold increase to
1,892 during the same time period.

- -- In 2001, there were more than 4,500 emergency-room cases nationwide
involving Ecstasy, a 58 percent increase since 1999.

- -- More than 12 percent of American teens now claim to have tried Ecstasy.

The use of Ecstasy has spawned its own culture, fashion and vocabulary.
Users refer to the high as "rolling." They seek out venues, such as
nightclubs and private parties, with flashing lights and pulsing music.

One teen-ager said as summer nears, the pills will be easier to find.

"It comes and goes but if you try hard enough you can find it. This summer,
there will probably be a lot," said the 17-year-old who didn't want to be
identified.

Bossier City police Sgt. Steve Caskey said now police know what to look for.

"Five years ago, we saw it one or two times. The next year, we saw a couple
more. Three years ago, we went from hearing about it to running up on it
and began recognizing the trademarks."

- -- Seth Parsons contributed to this report.