GRAVES JOINS ECSTASY DRUG FIGHT

WASHINGTON - The drug Ecstasy has found a new foe in U.S. Rep. Sam Graves.

"It took the community by surprise," said Mr. Graves, R-Mo. "(Users are)
not only at raves. We're seeing them in barns and machine sheds in the
rural areas."

Mr. Graves listened Tuesday to roughly 30 local and federal officials,
participating in a video conference he'd organized to discuss problems in
combating the drug in Northwest Missouri. The congressman, who has
conducted five such conferences, said he plans to introduce legislation
this fall to fight the spread of Ecstasy.

About 3.4 million Americans nationwide have used the drug, according to the
National Institute on Drug Abuse. Ecstasy, which acts as a stimulant and a
hallucinogen, is most popular among 12- to 25-year- olds.

"(Ecstasy) probably poses the single largest threat to our youth today,"
said Lawrence Gallina, chief of domestic operations for the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

Keith Wood, director of public safety for Maryville, Mo., said his officers
found Ecstasy in the community soon after students returned to Northwest
Missouri State University last year. He said officers made about five
Ecstasy-related arrests.

Medical emergencies at local bars alerted Mr. Wood to the drug's use, he
said. "We had a couple of ambulance calls on one night," Mr. Wood said.
"One student was in a coma for three or four days, which is typical of an
(Ecstasy) overdose."

Ecstasy, a pill, heightens the senses and causes a feeling of euphoria,
according to Dr. Glen Hanson, director of neuroscience and behavioral
research at the National Institute of Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Md. Side
effects can include muscle damage, long-term depression and affected sleep
and a rise in body temperature to as much as 109 degrees.

Capt. Paul Carrill, an investigator with the Platte County Sheriff's
Department, said his office has been tracking Ecstasy use for the past
year. The officers have concentrated on identifying suppliers in the area,
buying the drug for $7 to $20 a pill, he said.

But they've had trouble infiltrating the market, he said. "The traditional
undercover officer has to appear 16 or 17 or 18 years old," like an average
user, he said. Resources, though, are the largest problem of all. "We need
more money and more manpower," said Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox,
who said the drug appeared in his community earlier this year.

Mr. Carrill added that money limitations hamper undercover work because the
department can't afford to pay the detectives enough overtime. Perception
of the drug also has been an issue.

"You've got people thinking the drug is harmless," said Wayne Hogan, drug
demand reduction coordinator for the Air National Guard counter- drug
program. "At the same time it's creeping in with young people and high
schoolers, who know more about it than I did when I first got started
(teaching an awareness program)." Although neighboring counties have found
Ecstasy use, Buchanan County has no confirmed case to date.

"We haven't had a problem yet, but we anticipate a problem," said Sgt. Ron
Gordon, spokesman for the St. Joseph Police Department.

Mike Strong, commander of the Drug Strike Force in Buchanan County, agreed,
saying his officers have been trained to detect the drug and have been
investigating the use of Ecstasy for almost two months.

Jonathan Kelley, director of security at Missouri Western State College, is
also alert for signs of Ecstasy on campus. "We are keeping an eye out for
it, but we haven't seen any use of it," Mr. Kelley said. "I'm not going to
say it's not out there."