TELLING OUR CHILDREN WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT ECSTASY

Ecstasy seems to be on the minds of everyone these days. The
euphoric drug topped this year's list of substances "increasing
sharply" on the government's annual survey. More than one in 10 high
school seniors has tried it, and MDMA (the chemical name for Ecstasy)
is now being used by young people of all racial and ethnic groups.
Last week the Drug Abuse Warning Network reported over 4,500
Ecstasy-related emergency room visits in 2000, up 58 percent from 1999.

Law enforcement is concerned, and in what was reported to be "the
largest seizure in history," police in New York confiscated 1 million
Ecstasy pills earlier this month. Raves, the large dance parties in
which Ecstasy is used by some, have been deemed venues for drug use
and sales, and a movement is under way to declare them illegal.

Politicians are concerned, and are again sounding tough on drugs by
proposing ever-increasing penalties for sales as well as possession of
Ecstasy. Last week, Senator Bob Graham, D-Fla., introduced
legislation to combat the drug, which will add to state initiatives
that have been passed over the past year.

Scientists are concerned, too. Recently the National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA) hosted an international conference featuring
presentations on the latest research breakthroughs about Ecstasy's
physiological and psychological effects.

As a parent, I am concerned first and foremost about health and
safety, but I wonder whether all the expression of concern by law
enforcement, politicians and even scientists is really helping.

If history is any guide, increased drug seizures will do little to
make a dent in the supply of Ecstasy. It is cheap to make and
relatively easy to import. The motive for profit will ensure that
manufacturers will find ways to outsmart Customs and the Drug
Enforcement Administration, as was illustrated so brilliantly in the
Academy Award-winning movie, "Traffic."

The attempt to shut down raves will not curtail young people's desire
to get together and dance. Instead, parties will be driven
underground and efforts to ensure safety (like having health
professionals on hand) will be compromised. Increased penalties for
possession and sales will do little to deter the use of Ecstasy.
Instead, we will see an affirmative action of sorts, with a larger
proportion of white young men and women adding to the expansion of our
burgeoning black and brown prison population.

I attended the recent National Institute on Drug Abuse conference,
hoping to get answers to nagging questions about the long- and
short-term effects of Ecstasy. Claims of brain damage that fuel the
government's "just say no" message dominated. The challenge,
conference organizers argued, was to "get the word out" to Ecstasy
users, who were certainly unaware of its risks.

Were they kidding? This generation of DARE graduates has heard such
warnings about a variety of drugs, including Ecstasy, since they were
in grade school. Because the messages are inconsistent with their
observations and experiences, they feel duped and simply tune them
out.

The bulk of evidence presented at the conference produced far more
questions than answers. The single most consistent message coming out
of the research was that we need much more research to determine what
this drug really does, for how long, and what that means in functional
terms, for those who use it.

We surely need more research about Ecstasy's long-term effects on the
brain, but evidence presented at the conference also revealed that
experts know plenty about MDMA's immediate effects. Here's where my
ears perked up, because young people are clamoring for, and listening
to recommendations for reducing immediate harm. No one wants to end
up in the emergency room.

I heard researchers talk about the negative consequences of
overheating, dehydration, combining drugs and "fake"" Ecstasy.
Scientists know how Ecstasy users can lessen these risks: they can
"chill out" periodically, drink water, test pills to be sure they do
not contain dangerous adulterants, avoid combining MDMA with other
drugs and use moderation in dose level and frequency of use.

No such recommendations were made at NIDA's conference.

Scientists have instead been silent about harm reduction. No wonder,
because they face ostracism and loss of research funding if they dare
engage in such a discussion. It's "just say no" or nothing at all.
Scientists are, in practical terms, prevented from making
safety-oriented recommendations by political interests that mandate
abstinence at the expense of knowledge.

As a parent, I take issue with NIDA's refusal to reveal everything
that is known about MDMA. If our government is truly concerned about
young (and older) people who use Ecstasy, it will dispense with
rhetoric and give its young people the information they desperately
need to stay safe. And the sooner the better.