DOES YOUR KID USE ECSTASY?

USE OF the illegal drug Ecstasy is far more widespread in North Jersey and
at the shore than many parents realize. It is the current drug of choice
for many teenagers, some as young as 12 or 13, who can easily hide its use
at "rave" parties and dance clubs that bill themselves as "alcohol-free."

One 16-year-old Ramsey High School student told Staff Writers Tara Kane and
Leslie Koren in The Sunday Record that he can spend the evening high on
Ecstasy, hanging out with friends on the street, and when his mother picks
him up at 11 p.m., she has no idea what he has been doing.

Federal and state officials say use of the drug has increased dramatically
in the last two or three years. About a third of the caseload of the Bergen
County Narcotics Task Force involves Ecstasy. A pharmacologist with the
federal Drug Enforcement Authority says some 750,000 Ecstasy tablets are
taken each week in the area that includes North Jersey, the Jersey shore,
and New York City.

In New Jersey, the possession and sale of Ecstasy can result in as much
jail time as for heroin and cocaine. But most teenagers who use the drug
seem to buy it in small amounts -- one tablet costs between $20 and $40 --
and use it freely without fear of getting caught.

They are unconcerned about the dangers of the drug, which increases blood
pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. It makes the user feel
energized and uninhibited. Studies have shown it can cause permanent
changes in brain chemistry and short-term memory loss. It can also cause
tremors, anxiety, and nausea, and in rare overdoses, heart attack or even
death.

Experts say North Jersey is an ideal place for Ecstasy use because of the
large number of teens with money and time on their hands. All-night parties
often take place at the homes of kids whose parents are away.

Ask your child tonight if he or she has taken Ecstasy or knows someone who
has. The answer might surprise you.

As with all substance abuse, parents need to be involved in their
children's lives. They need to know where their kids are going, who they
are going with, and what will be happening. That's not prying. It's good
parenting, and it's a way to keep your kids from getting in trouble with
Ecstasy.