Note: [This LTE responds to PUBLTE at
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n814/a04.html]

UNCLEAR VIEW OF DANGER

This is in response to Patrick O'Rourke's letter (June 10) concerning a
June 4 editorial on the club drug Ecstasy. He claims Ecstasy is less
harmful than a six-pack of beer. His letter proves to me that he and his
peers are misguided just as the editorial stated, which is very sad.

Consumers know what they are getting when they purchase beer, which, unlike
Ecstasy, is regulated by the federal government. Patrick's letter could
have been written by my son six months ago. He, like Patrick, felt he was
mature, rational and intelligent enough to make his own choices. My son's
supposed best friend introduced him to the drug and rave clubs. Ecstasy
became his drug of choice. Unfortunately, he is not here to respond to the
editorial.

Our family buried our only son six months ago, a day before his birthday.
He would have turned 22 on Christmas Eve 1999. His autopsy showed a lethal
level of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy. My son had a great future ahead of
him and a loving and supporting family. I'm positive that if he had lived,
he would have a different view of the drug.

How can I give my son's so-called best friend and their generation a little
bit of credit when he and his peers continue to go to raves and use Ecstasy
despite seeing what happened to my son? I've learned the drug does kill
brain cells, which could account for their views. My prayer for O'Rourke is
that his mother never feels the need to write a letter like mine nor has to
go through the pain and suffering I'm going through.