NEW LAW WOULD CRACK DOWN ON CLUB DRUG IN MISSOURI

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- People possessing the drug ecstasy would be
treated like those carrying cocaine or heroin under legislation sent
to the governor.

The bill approved Friday by the Senate would make the crime of
possessing more than 450 grams of ecstasy a felony punishable by 20
years to life in prison.

The penalty is similar to those currently on the books for drugs such
as heroin or cocaine.

"This is an issue that is so important to Missouri," said Sen. Harry
Wiggins, D-Kansas City, who handled the bill.

Also included in the bill is a provision that makes the drug GHB --
also known as the "date rape" drug -- a controlled substance.

While selling and possessing the drug is currently illegal in
Missouri, prosecutors can only file charges of possession with intent
to distribute, a lesser crime.

The drug ecstasy became popular about five years ago among young
partygoers on the east and west coasts, and has since spread across
the country. The drug produces a short-lived feeling of euphoria and
relaxation, a lowering of inhibitions and an energy burst. It can be
ingested orally or taken in a suppository form for a longer high.

The National Institute on Drug abuse has found that the drug causes
permanent changes in brain chemistry and can cause severe dehydration
and depression after it wears off. The drug can raise a person's body
temperature to 108 degrees.

Sponsoring Rep. Cathy Jolly, D-Kansas City, said support for the
legislation was crucial because of the recent deaths of five young
men in St. Louis. The men found in a car had died of carbon monoxide
poisoning. All had ecstasy in their bodies.