ECSTASY APPEAL GAINING

Police say cocaine and marijuana remain the drugs of choice in Winnipeg.

But ecstasy is catching up.

"It's definitely evolving into a more popular drug, without question," said
Sgt. Ken Shipley, supervisor of the Winnipeg police drug unit.

The euphoria-inducing drug also known as E, has been linked to the death
last fall of 16-year-old Winnipegger Becky Ducharme. Dr. Charles Littman, a
forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on the teen, said ecstasy
overdoses remain rare in Manitoba.

However, that's not to say the exotic drug -- passed around at raves and
all-night dance parties in Winnipeg -- shouldn't be a concern for parents.

"A lot of youth have the mistaken idea that ecstasy is not a hard drug or
it's no worse than having a couple of beers," Littman said. "It's a very
dangerous drug. It's the kind of drug that's very difficult to predict when
an accidental death will occur."

Ecstasy, which originated in Germany in 1912 as an appetite suppressant,
became popular in the United States in the 1970s for treatment of
psychiatric patients.