ELUSIVE X

Parents Need To Take The Lead In Monitoring Participation In Dance Parties,
Drug Experts Say

Similar to the goal of treasure hunters, "X" really does mark a valuable
uncovering for Warren County's drug investigators. Whenever detectives with
Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force find the elusive X, which is
one of the street names for the illegal drug ecstasy, they tend to discover
other club drugs commonly associated with the subculture, according to task
force Director Tommy Loving.

In three busts involving ecstasy during the past year, detectives also have
located LSD and crystal methamphetamine, Loving said.

Typically, drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), which sometimes is
used as a date-rape drug, the hallucinogenic animal tranquilizer ketamine
and methamphetamine are common vices in the club culture, he said.

"When you find ecstasy, you're going to find those other drugs pretty
close," Loving said.

Ecstasy contains both stimulant and hallucinogenic properties that cause
the user to experience an increased sense of alertness, physical sensations
and audio and visual signals. Scientific studies indicate that in addition
to occasional fatal overdoses of the illegal drug ecstasy, other common
drawbacks include confusion, depression, memory problems and paranoia
sometimes weeks after initial use.

And, although ecstasy is not as widespread as methamphetamine or marijuana,
the drug task force is treating it as a serious threat to southcentral
Kentucky.

"We'd like to get ahead of the curve before it becomes a bigger problem,"
Loving said. "We're certainly working all our sources on this. What's
personally troubling to me is the young group that's a target market for it."

Ecstasy tends to target teen-agers as young as 14, an age younger than most
who use recreational drugs, and has been blamed for several deaths across
the nation, he said.

In recent months, investigators have encountered the drug and made several
arrests.

A party two weeks ago at National Corvette Museum Amphitheater resulted in
six ecstasy trafficking arrests.

Last month, a naked man found running around Western Place Apartments at
720 Patton Way and accused of destroying $4,500 worth of property told
police he was under the influence of ecstasy during his alleged crimes.

And in mid-March, two Western Kentucky University students were arrested
and subsequently indicted in connection with a suspected ecstasy pipeline
from Owensboro to Bowling Green. Those charges still are pending.

Still, ecstasy remains popular among the teen-age to mid-20s crowd that
characteristically uses the drug at parties, dances, concerts and clubs.
And parents, who may hear from their children that they are going to a
non-alcohol party, should not feel at ease about the safety of their teens,
police said.

When parents learn of parties or clubs featuring bands or a deejay, which
are billed as alcohol-free and only serve bottled water, they should be
suspicious, Loving said.

While there are exceptions to every rule, parents should not be naive about
non-alcohol parties, he said.

"That needs to be a red flag for the parents to take a real hard look at
what their children are going to because it could be a rave event," Loving
said. "It could be alcohol-free, but it may not be drug-free."

A rave typically is a gathering involving music, lights and dancing that
continues for several hours. Law enforcement authorities allege a
connection between the gatherings and the use of ecstasy, which is taken to
further enhance audio-visual stimulation.

Ecstasy commonly is used with other drugs, but usually without alcohol,
which is believed to diminish its effect, according to researchers at Johns
Hopkins University.

The drug, known by its scientific name of MDMA
(3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), has a stimulant effect that causes a
similar euphoria and increased awareness as cocaine and amphetamine. The
drug also produces a psychedelic effect, the researchers said.

Ecstasy allows the user to dance for an extended time, but when combined
with hot, crowded conditions found at raves, can lead to dehydration,
hypothermia and heart or kidney failure, Johns Hopkins researchers said.
The drug can cause long-term effects on the parts of the brain affecting
thought and memory, according to a June 2000 article in The Journal of
Neuroscience.

In an experiment with red squirrel monkeys, Johns Hopkins researchers
demonstrated that four days of exposure to the drug caused damage that
persisted six to seven years later.

While MDMA can cause compulsive behavior and side effects, the drug is not
believed to be addictive, which is different from most of the other
recreational drugs that have psychologically or physically addictive
properties, according to a 1986 Drug Enforcement Administration hearing on
the drug.