ECSTASY FOUND IN POKEMON STAMP

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) A particularly dangerous version of the street drug
Ecstasy has been appearing in the innocent guise of a Pokemon cartoon
character, police say.

Ecstasy pills laced with the drug PCP and stamped with the Pikachu
character have been confiscated in Fairfax County, Va.

Police say some of the pills contain a mixture of the hallucinogen Ecstasy
and PCP, which can produce violent, dangerous hallucinations. Other pills
contain only PCP, also known as angel dust or phencyclidine.

"People who think they're taking Ecstasy and get a full dose of PCP instead
... they're going to get a much different reaction," said Glenn
Druckenbrod, medical director of emergency medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Ecstasy makers sometimes market the illegal drug with logos such as
shamrocks, "smiley faces" or the Nike brand "swoosh".

Detective Ken Larson said he did not know whether the Pikachu character, a
children's favorite, was being used to market the drug to younger users.