ARE 'CLUB DRUGS' A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN BOULDER COUNTY?

The Daily Camera asked readers the question: "The death of 16-year-old
Brittney Chambers has drawn attention to the use of ecstasy and other 'club
drugs.' Is the attention deserved or overblown? Is ecstasy use a serious
problem among teenagers? Perhaps you think more attention should be focused
on preventing the damage caused by legal drugs like alcohol and nicotine?"

Raising the public's awareness of the dangers of illegal drug use is always
deserved.

Your journalists responsibly address that drug indulgence can be
self-destructive, and you clearly point out that it is a game of Russian
Roulette.

However for the benefit of everyone, especially those that are resisting
drug use, you need to be fair in your coverage and acknowledge the flip
side of the coin with equal fervor. When you spend thousands of words
describing why people use club drugs, you need to spend thousands of words
on why the rest of the people purposefully resist using them.

You reported that BHS senior Lisa Kamen "guessed" 35 percent to 40 percent
of BHS students had chosen to try ecstasy. Why would you print such a
subjective "guesstimate" made by one person in a school population of 2000?
Even if this were true, why didn't you spend equal space pointing out that
this "guesstimate" would also suggest that the remaining 55 percent to 60
percent of BHS teens were choosing not to try it?

It's human nature to exaggerate for the purpose of sensationalism. Why
would you not take this into consideration before printing something like
that? You create for us all the concept of a drug culture that may or may
not exist, putting wedges between our generations that are based on
innuendo and speculation.

You point out that a few professionals in a few fields use these drugs. Why
didn't you talk to the other representative faction in those fields about
how they find self esteem in resisting the drugs?

You have met only half of your journalistic responsibility by focusing on
only half of the story publicizing data that is subjective at best, and in
doing so you may be exacerbating the problem.

Avoiding these drugs is not a casual decision. It is a purposeful decision
just like the decision to use them. Teens make choices every day that will
shape the quality of their lives both present and future. Sometimes they
make those choices based on their perceptions of what "most" of their peers
are reported to be doing. You need to be accurate and fair, and report with
equal fervor why many of their peers don't indulge in use of drugs.

When people perceive that they are part of a greater movement, whether good
or bad, they feel a collective strength. Those teens who are choosing to
stay away from these drugs need their story to be told with equal coverage
and headline exposure so there can be a true picture.

As journalists, you are the teachers that most influence our lives. Now
that you have gotten our attention with your exposure of the problem, do
something really good and print the whole story of human conflict about the
choice to use or not use these illegal drugs. Who knows, by exposing in
print people's strengths, maybe you will help the weaker to become strong.
Knowledge is power and the more you educate us the more we will learn.

- -- Susan Balint, Boulder --------------------------------------------------

"Just say no" doesn't work. I believe we need a different type of drug
education.

The desire to alter consciousness seems inherent and even exemplified by
children spinning on the playground to get dizzy. In some cultures, teens
as a rite of passage, are taken aside by the shaman and given powerful
psychoactive substances to mark their entry into adulthood. What rite of
passage do youth now have?

Because drugs are illegal, their use often goes along with lying. Wouldn't
you rather know what your teens are doing, where they are and with whom?

If we could truly provide drug education, learning to use substances in a
safe way could lessen the danger. Don't take anything from someone you
don't know who hasn't already tried it. Don't mix drugs together or mix
them with alcohol. Don't use them in dangerous settings, with people that
make you feel uncomfortable or needing to drive. Say a prayer. Have an
intention. Have a guide who is not on anything to hold safe space. After
the experience, take time to reflect what you learned. Write about it,
create art. Know that there other ways of getting high -- holotropic breath
work, dancing, art, chanting, meditation and fasting. Don't let drugs be an
escape. Do therapy for emotional problems. Drugs can be dangerous. Most
people are better off leaving them alone. I raised two teenagers and
appreciated knowing the truth and sharing trust. I believe they walked in
balance. Many blessings!

- -- Brigitte Mars, Author of Addiction Free Naturally (Inner Traditions),
Boulder
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While on the CU campus last week, I saw a girl turn to her friend and say,
"My new professor is so cool. He said that this decade is just like
the'60s, except the'60s weren't as cool because they didn't have ecstasy."

In a culture that revels on the fact that you are always allowed a second
chance, this serves as a perfect example of why drug use is prevalent
today. You could have been a druggie in the'60s and now be a professor, a
businessman, or heck-why-not, the president. Great example, America.

Today's youth think that they are invincible, just like their parents were.
And maybe they are, or maybe they are Brittney Chambers, who wasn't allowed
a second chance. But instead of learning from the mistakes of others, even
those resulting in the loss of a precious life, we will turn our backs and
say, "It won't happen to my family."

As an 18 year-old myself, I've learned that it really all boils down to
this: How can you blame a generation for their mistakes when their parents
and role models were never held accountable for theirs?

- -- Erin Helgerson, Boulder
----------------------------------------------------------

I've been keeping up with Brittney's story since the morning after it happened.

I know people that go to Monarch, and the night of Brittney's party I was
at a rave with a lot of Monarch kids. Sometime later that night a lot more
kids from Monarch came to the rave to see their friend spin records. Rumor
has it that some of them were at Brittney's party earlier that night. The
next morning I woke up at a former Monarch student's house hearing about
the phone call she received about Brittney. Since then I've kept up with
the news and articles about this just to see what they have to say.

All along I knew she didn't overdose on ecstasy because you can't overdose
on it. It's whatever else that it's cut with that you have to worry about.
Why do you think there's so many kinds out there? I knew it was her fault
for not taking care of herself properly that led to her death.

There are resources out there for reading so you know how to prevent these
things from happening. I found mine from Dance Safe. The organization
that's out there to provide information and ways to keep yourself safe
while under the influence of drugs. Another friend of mine used to work
with the local chapter here. Which is how I found the information I need to
keep myself safe.

Like many other ravers out there, sometimes I take them pills. But I also
spend time with the rollin' kids to keep them happy and safe. I feel like
its something I should do since I have this information I should put it to
good use. Like two good examples that fit the situation well are: 1. Don't
drink too much water. Don't gulp it, sip it. Only drink one pint an hour to
keep you hydrated and normal body temperature; 2. Clovers are bad. you
never know what's in them so don't touch'em! This is just something I
learned along the way. I have held a clover in my hand before just because
I wanted to see it. It belonged to a friend. I told him to be careful, and
he's still here.

I stay with first time rollers so they don't get scared. I like to make
sure they're taken care of.

I am a responsible raver, and I'm not the only one. There are so many of us
out there. Doing all the stuff that I do and sometimes even more. Which is
why I don't understand why Brittney wasn't taken care of in her own home.

This whole thing is way overblown! Not everyone dies. I'm living proof of
that. It's not a serious problem among teenagers. Ever since this happened
a few people at my high school have asked me things. Get the facts from me.
When a class I was in last semester was talking about ecstasy, I had to
keep correcting the teacher just so these kids got the right information. I
go to school with a lot of "preps." I am definitely not one of them. I'm
one of the weird kids that clusters in a group because no one really gets
why we do what we do. They bother me. The ones who don't know things so
they assume. those are the ones I correct. All this attention towards her
is undeserved.

The media should drop it because its not a serious problem. There's worse
things out there than this.

- -- Christine Nava-Roberts, Broomfield
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Six years ago, my 20-year-old nephew died of a heart attack three hours
after taking some ecstasy and drinking two beers at a rave. I can guarantee
you (and Clay Evans) that it was not the beer that killed this fine young man.

At the time of Morgan's death, there had already been a dozen deaths under
similar circumstances in England, where ecstasy first became popular. The
Camera could do all its readers a service by conducting some real
investigative reporting and finding out how many young people have died
after taking this drug. Clay Evans is right; there's nothing new about
ecstasy. And there's nothing new about people dying tragically after taking it.

- -- Stephen R. Jones, Boulder
------------------------------------------------------------------

I think the media needs to address the "club drugs" issue whenever there is
a teachable moment such as the Brittney Chambers incident.

These drugs are obviously a big problem among teens now so it deserves
attention. There is no doubt but that alcohol is much more pervasive and a
much greater threat to the larger number of people than the hard drugs.

Nicotine, of course, is also a serious problem especially since we have not
figured out how to prevent young people from starting smoking and leads to
addiction for a significant proportion. In relation to the problem that
both alcohol and nicotine pose, the press does need to spend more time with
these issues.

- -- William M. Marine, MD, MPH, Boulder
---------------------------------------------------------------

It is truly a shame and a tragedy that Brittney Chambers had to die. Not
just from water, not from just MDMA, but from the mere lack of knowledge of
everyone around her.

Apparently no one around her knew with total certainty that drinking too
much water so quickly could lead to death! This is a harsh lesson for us
all! She did not die from tainted ecstasy or from too much water. In all
actuality, Brittney died from being taken off life support! The main
question now is: Did she receive proper medical treatment for hyponatremia?
With the knowledge that this girl had ingested three gallons of water
before being admitted, did the doctors act on that fact? Or did they only
think they had a drug overdose to deal with?

With all the "Ecstasy Scare Reporting" that has gone on, why has no one has
brought up this very real issue? Was she or was she not treated for
hyponatremia, with Saline solutions, diuretics, etc. Were the doctors
working with all the facts?

For all the millions of doses of ecstasy that have been taken by people of
all ages around the world during the past few decades, there have been very
few fatalities, (ironically dehydration related). The same cannot be said
for our everyday drugs like alcohol and tobacco, etc.

This is a very real wake-up call to the rare, but very real dangers of
over-hydration (drinking too much water, too fast). Let us now make
hyponatremia as much a part of our vocabulary as hypothermia. We may never
know how many people have been misdiagnosed for hyponatremia. May we all
learn from the lessons Brittney has taught us, party-goers, the media, the
joggers, the hikers, and the doctors. May Brittney's passing not be in vain!

We commend the media for it's detailed reporting and that this death was
not just left as an "esterase overdose" as originally reported, which
couldn't be further from the truth. We also commend the Boulder police for
their immediate announcement and prompt description of what they originally
believed to be tainted tablets. Sometimes it's not the action but the
reaction that can lead to tragedy. For those of you who may continue to
experiment, with any substance, be careful and look out for one another.
Take the car keys away, take the water bottle, etc..,etc...!

- -- George M. Wind
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Is the attention over Brittney's death due to ecstasy deserved and is
ecstasy use a problem among teenagers? I guess that depends on your
definition of "serious problem."

How many teens have to use ecstasy and how many comas, death, and prison
sentences have to occur before we consider it a problem? I say one is one
too many. Telling teens not to do drugs just because they are bad doesn't
work. Telling teens to be responsible while using drugs -- don't drink too
much water when using ecstasy --is stupid because the teen is no longer in
control when under the influence. They need to know why drugs are bad. And
I believe that teens are capable of making good decisions when given all
the information. Every American has three basic rights; life, freedom, and
happiness. Brittney gave up all three of those rights when she took the
ecstasy pill. The teens facing charges gave up their freedom and possibly a
few years of happiness. All this for a few hours of fun. Maybe we should
ask Brittney and her friends this question. "Was losing your life, freedom
and happiness worth the few hours of fun you may have experienced while
under the influence?"

- -- Annette Presley, Erie
--------------------------------------------------------

The attention is deserved. Drug use, along with ecstasy, are major problem
among teenagers, especially within the Boulder Valley School District.
Teachers, preachers, organizations, and police can continue to tell kids
that drugs are bad and not to do them.

Obviously this approach doesn't work. There needs to be more outlets for
these kids. Places they can go hang out and be themselves. Until there are
more places for them to go that aren't outrageously expensive, the problem
will only grow!

- -- Joe, Aurora
---------------------------------------------------------------

Why do adolescents contend that they turn to drug use because there are no
entertainment alternatives? So clubs, skateboard parks, and teen centers
get funded, and then these places become convenient drug dealing venues.
There are more entertainment alternatives -- some are even educational --
available to kids today in Boulder than ever before and more than compared
to most other communities. But kids lack initiative to seek them out,
preferring to be spoon fed activities, and parents lack time and interest
to be involved in the lives they've created, preferring to dump their kids
somewhere out of site and mind. Behind every drug abusing teenager is
parent who has made it all possible. Shall we exonerate Ms. Chambers for
having permitted teenagers to consume drugs and alcohol in her home simply
because now she wants to build a teen center in memory of her daughter?
Let's stop expecting the government and community to solve what is a family
problem.

- -- Bob Stewart, Boulder
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As someone who has grown up in this city and is now a young,
college-educated professional, I can say ecstasy use is a problem.

Kids love its effects and I see its use growing in the near future. It's
not only used in the high schools, but is very popular at CU too.

In order to reduce its use, I think verifiable information about its bad
side effects needs to be published, not just anecdotal stories about teens
who die from it. Kids usually dismiss those stories because they feel
invincible and not as dumb as the person in the story. Teens are
intelligent and will respond to solid information rather that scare tactics.

I would like to see the Camera run an in-depth article that paints an
objective picture of the drug, discussing whatever research has been done
on ecstasy.

- -- Alexander Snow, Boulder
------------------------------------------------------

Ibelieve that teenagers are going to do, and continue to do, whatever they
please. My reasoning is this: 1.) Teenagers think for themselves. And it is
only natural for them to push limits, experiment and give into peer
pressure. 2.) Parents, for the most part, have blinders on when it comes to
their own kids. Parents say that they talk to their kids about serious
issues, such as drugs and sex, but most don't openly talk about it with
their kids.

What I have noticed is that most parents barely touch on the subject with
their own children out of embarrassment and a belief that their own child
would never do such a thing. I have personally seen this because I worked
with juvenile delinquents and their parents for five years, and nothing has
changed, nor will it.

- -- Frank, Boulder
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The attention is deserved because it will focus attention on the problems
of using ecstasy and other drugs.

There is no such thing as a "harmless" drug because all drugs affect the
body chemistry and make up. There are some who view drug use as a
"victimless crime." But what they overlook is that the victims are the drug
users. A case in point is Brittney Chambers. Drug awareness programs have
fail, and will continue to fail if young people insist they know better and
want to control themselves.

Drug prevention programs have been in place for years, but the problem
persists. So more prevention programs will not be any more effective.

As for talking to parents, too many young people rebel at that and it goes
in one ear and out the other.

- -- Rich B., Broomfield