CONVINCING RESEARCH ON ECSTASY SHOULD MAKE DRUG USERS WARY

THE big news out of a recent key study measuring trends in high school drug
use was that while the use of all illegal substances had leveled off last
year, regular Ecstasy use among 12th-graders had increased significantly --
up from 5.6 percent in 1999 to 8.2 percent in 2000. A survey released in
November by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America showed a similar pattern.

This information culminates a year of news about Ecstasy, also known by its
chemical name, MDMA. Nearly 1,000 news reports told of increased supply and
demand, as indicated by Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs
seizures, as well as arrests of distributors associated with organized crime.

There were reports of adverse reactions to the drug, even fatalities.
Emergency-room visits increased as several "ravers" attending huge,
all-night dance parties collapsed and convulsed. Nine young people died
from taking adulterated substances (known as "fake Ecstasy") containing
poisonous substitute chemicals. Finally there were National Institute on
Drug Abuse reports of possible changes in the brains of users and
fluctuating levels of the mood-controlling chemical seratonin. This
troubling news inspired a federal program designed to alert the public, and
young people in particular, to the dangers of Ecstasy.

Although TV programs and ad campaigns have sent out the alarm about MDMA,
use has continued to rise among teen-agers. To understand why, it is
important to understand the experience of Ecstasy.

I first learned about MDMA in a 1985 Time magazine story. The then-legal
stimulant had a very small place on the drug scene since the 1970s. A
clever marketing decision to call it "Ecstasy" resulted in attracting an
eclectic mix of affluent enthusiasts. Avant-garde therapists were joined by
New Age professionals, Deadheads and Dallas yuppies.

I wanted to know more about the euphoric drug called "a six-hour orgasm" by
some and "penicillin for the soul" by others, so in 1987 I launched the
first federally funded sociological study of Ecstasy users in the United
States.

In interviews with 100 adults averaging 35 years old, we learned that
regardless of the user's background, his or her descriptions of the
benefits of Ecstasy were consistent. The feeling on MDMA was described as
complete acceptance of, and by, others. Users talked of diminished fear and
an increased ability to communicate. We heard much about expressions of
tolerance and love as defenses melted away. Most striking, the individuals
told us they derived these positive feelings from precious few other settings.

If mature adults found MDMA use so fulfilling, I could only imagine how
alluring it would be for teen-agers in their adolescent struggles. Although
teen-agers hadn't been part of the Ecstasy scene back then, it was only a
matter of time and availability.

As a parent, I worry about possible adverse effects of Ecstasy on the human
brain. I applaud a $54-million research program supported by NIDA and urge
further studies of potential long-term damage. I urge careful dissemination
of research findings because teen-agers are not likely to be deterred by
hysterical warnings about possible problems in their distant future. When I
ask teen-age users why they have not heeded government warnings of possible
brain damage, these veterans of "just say no" express deep cynicism.

"Oh yes," said one 18-year-old regarding problematic brain changes
attributed to Ecstasy, "they told us about that with marijuana too. But
none of us believes we have holes in our brains, so we just laugh at those
messages."

I am very concerned about the use of MDMA in dangerous settings. Most of
the Ecstasy-related problems at raves can be attributed to dancing too hard
and too long and becoming overheated and dehydrated. Young people need to
know that heatstroke can be avoided by cooling off and drinking water.

Perhaps the most significant problem facing would-be MDMA users is deadly
adulterants masquerading as Ecstasy. I support efforts of organizations
like DanceSafe, which tests pills to determine whether they are potentially
dangerous look-alikes or the real thing. Young people are concerned too, as
evidenced by their own efforts to educate themselves about Ecstasy's dangers.

We could, of course, continue to try (unsuccessfully) to scare teen-agers
into abstinence, as we have for two decades. But I believe a more
realistic, pragmatic approach to Ecstasy is "harm reduction." While of
course we would rather they abstained completely, teens should have
accurate information about Ecstasy to avoid serious mishaps. This may sound
heretical, but safety should be the bottom line.