NEW FIGHT IN THE WAR ON DRUGS

Drug counselors in Carroll have seen a rise in the use of the drug ecstasy
among teens in recent years. Now Congress is looking at ways to curb the
drug's rising popularity.

Ecstasy, a stimulant, can cause short- and long-term brain damage with just
one use. It has also been attributed teen deaths throughout the country.

In May 2000 Maryland's Drug Early Warning System, or DEWS, sent an alert
throughout the state concerning the rising popularity of ecstasy. DEWS is
funded by the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention to the
Center for Substance Abuse Research at the University of Maryland. At the
time, it was noted that while police had confiscated only 10 ecstasy
tablets the year before, that year 300 had been confiscated in Carroll. Of
those, 200 came from one arrest. Still, drug counselors have noted that the
number of clients citing ecstasy has continued to increase.

The same is true across the nation. On Monday, Donald Vereen, deputy
director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, told a
Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that ecstasy use is "one of the most
problematic drugs" to come along in recent years.

Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called
ecstasy use a "national public health crisis."

Carroll has seen the devastating impact that drugs and drug abuse can have
on a community. At the same time, Carroll has been a model in what can be
achieved when a community comes together to fight drug abuse.

The evidence is out there: Ecstasy use is rising and is becoming more
problematic, especially among teens and among young adults. There isn't
time to wait to see what action Congress will take. Parents have to educate
themselves and talk to their children about drugs in their communities.

We've demonstrated before that positive results can be achieved through
increased awareness and education. There's no reason to suggest we can't do
it again.