COVER STORY GENERATED MUCH MAIL

[NYST's editorial note] The cover article on Ecstasy generated much mail,
which was notable for its especially strong opinions, both pro and con.
Many parents, doctors and public officials accused the article of
glorifying Ecstasy use and said we did not sufficiently describe the drug's
risks. A nearly equal number of readers praised our attempt to detail what
attracts users to the drug and our description of its deadening effect over
time. Overall, its numbers were dwarfed by those for the previous week's
article defending atheism, which continues to draw hundreds of readers' thanks.

On one level, Matthew Klam's article about Ecstasy (Jan. 21) was a
skillfully crafted coming-of-age odyssey, appropriately self-deprecating
and entertaining. But on another, it was a worrying description of
adolescent anxiety and dislocation magnified through illicit drug use.
Careful readers would have found, amid the detailed descriptions of
Ecstasy's life-enhancing qualities, some sober warnings about serious side
effects. As one who treats adolescent drug abusers, I was glad to see them.
I was also relieved that Klam saved himself by coming to the realization
that drug-induced good times are fleeting and unsustainable.

PETER PROVET President, Odyssey House New York

I want to add my voice to what I suspect is a deafening chorus of angry
readers commenting on your article about Ecstasy.

What was your point? The writing, while quite good, wasn't so compelling as
to overshadow that it was in essence promoting the use of an illegal drug.
In my mind, that's the ultimate in irresponsible journalism. Perhaps I'm
being overly sensitive because among the article's readers was my
14-year-old son, who read it before I did. Had I seen it first, I would
have hidden the magazine.

MARY C. HICKEY Montclair, N.J.

As a psychotherapist with a specialty in substance use and addictions, I
read Klam's article with a mixture of fascination and dread. It seemed
clear from the outset that this gifted writer might inspire more curiosity
than caution, although by the article's end I felt that he had made a
fairly balanced presentation. I am also regularly reminded of the reality
that often accompanies such pursuits. Three of my female clients, while
under Ecstasy's influence, were raped in clubs by male "friends" or dealers
who may or may not have been using the drug themselves.

GARY GOLIO Ossining, N.Y.

In describing the reactions of those who use Ecstasy, Klam employs words
like "euphoria," "empathy," "epiphany" and "enlightenment." Glamorizing
Ecstasy in this manner sends an inaccurate message to America's youth.

EDWARD H. JURITH Acting Director Office of National Drug Control Policy
Washington

Your writer's largely anecdotal article discounts a decade of scientific
research showing that Ecstasy (MDMA) has serious short-term and long-term
effects, including disrupting the brain's serotonin system and, as a
result, interfering with a person's mood, emotions, learning, memory, sleep
and perception of pain. In addition, the drug dramatically raises body
temperature, heart rate and blood pressure -- with dire consequences for
some people that can include heart and kidney failure.

ALAN I. LESHNER Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse Bethesda, Md.