DANCING WITH DANGER

MDMA, ecstasy, X, E, M, adam, bean or roll. However you say it, it's a drug
that's increasingly popular -- even in Tulsa.

"Ecstasy has always been coming through Tulsa," said Thomas Wheeler, a
senior at Hale High School. "It's just now becoming more in demand."

It most frequently comes in tablet form, although it is occasionally sold
in capsules or as powder, and is usually taken orally. Some tablets have
pictures or smiley faces on them.

Ecstasy is known as a club drug, because ecstasy is done mainly at raves
and dance clubs. A 2000 study suggested that ecstasy works by causing
violent fluctuations in serotonin, a brain chemical. Users tend to feel
euphoric, and they crave social interaction and visual stimulation.

"I've tried it in various environments, raves and parties, and just for
something to do," said Josh, a freshman at Oklahoma State University. "The
feelings that it gives you are the best in the world. You feel so happy and
loving, every little touch is so wonderful. I do it because it makes me
feel good. I guess that's why other kids do it, too."

However, he said, it does have a down side.

"The comedown causes fatigue and depression, and if you can't deal with
that then it can be bad, because people start doing it all the time to deal
with depression."

Use can cause severe dehydration, dizziness and headaches or, with
prolonged use, depression, memory loss and even permanent brain damage.

"The people I've hung around who have done it say it feels like your body
is in complete orgasm and I don't see how that wouldn't be tempting," said
Coleman Rimer, a recent graduate of Jenks High School.

A study conducted last November by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America
showed that teenage marijuana use dropped for a third straight year, but
there was a dramatic jump in the use of ecstasy by teenagers.

The nonprofit group's survey questioned 7,290 students in seventh through
12th grades nationwide. According to the survey, the use of ecstasy has
doubled among teens since 1995. The survey goes on to state that one in 10
teens has experimented with the drug. The report found the number of teens
who have tried ecstasy at least once had increased from 7 percent to 10
percent over the past year.

"It is very prevalent at raves," said Tony, a recent Jenks grad who didn't
want his last name used. "I've only been to one rave -- that was in
Oklahoma City -- and it was pretty gross. It seemed like really young
people, like 13 years old, were doing it. It has definitely moved into
mainstream."

A recent law passed in Oklahoma changed ecstasy's status from designer drug
to a schedule 1 drug, meaning use and possession can end up in sentences
similar to those for heroin, LSD and Rohypnol.

Three people were indicted in federal court in Tulsa in March in the first
public ecstasy case in the Northern District of Oklahoma in at least a
decade. One other case had been filed in Tulsa under seal, but no suspects
were arrested and the case has remained confidential.

Tulsa police say that right now, methamphetamine and meth labs are their
biggest problems, but they are aware of the proliferation of ecstasy -- and
they're working against it.

"It was popular on the cost before it was popular here and it just started
moving here," said Sgt. Sam McCullough, of the Tulsa Police Department's
Special Investigations Division.

He and Sgt. Harold Adair said the tight-knit nature of users and the clubs
they frequent make it harder to get on the inside and bust users. Add to
that the young age of users, and you've got a manpower problem -- very few
officers can pass for 18.

"We hadn't received any complaints so it hadn't been a priority, but now we
are starting to receive some complaints," Adair said.

McCullough said, "It hasn't been our No. 1 drug problem because we have
such an overwhelming problem with methamphetamines and methamphetamine labs."

He said SID, which tends to keep a low profile, doesn't get a lot of
attention but he assured that many ecstasy arrests had been made. He added
that the department is aware of the problem and is involved in curbing it.

"We are on it," McCullough said. "This stuff may be our next problem area.
All drugs are problems, ... but MDMA is moving up the ladder, and it's not
just here, it's nationwide.

"What scares me most of all is (teens) think this is a safe drug and it's
not. This drug presents some very real dangers, especially with damage to
brain cells. These kids have no idea what they are doing to themselves when
they take this stuff."

Brittney Allen, a sophomore at Washington High School, said that teens
don't always have to go to a rave to obtain the drug.

"Kids can get it anywhere, from school to a grocery store," she said.

Teenagers like Allyson Simon, another student at Washington, have never
used the drug, but they still hear about it.

"Kids at my school have talked about using ecstasy on a regular basis,"
said the 15-year-old sophomore.

Students said they've heard a range of prices for the drug, from $10 to $35
a pill.

"You can buy an ecstasy pill for about $20 to $25. You can buy as much as
you can afford," said Wheeler.

Rimer said the problem with the drug is that its manufacturing can be unsafe.

"It is definitely a drug where the slightest mistake will cost someone
their life," he said.

Teenagers like Wheeler say that ecstasy is almost as common as other drugs
like marijuana, LSD and speed.

"Ecstasy is almost on its way to being just as popular," Wheeler said.

Despite the restrictions and laws that authorities have placed on the
buying and selling of certain drugs, Rimer said that just like most drugs,
just about anyone can obtain ecstasy.

"It's out there and if someone wants it enough, they'll get it," he said.
"It's as simple as that."

John C. Walls is a senior at Bishop Kelley High School. He can be reached
at 581-8336 or via e-mail at satellite@tulsaworld.com.