TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE SAFE X BEATS JUST SAYING NO

Public service announcements on TV about the drug Ecstasy, sponsored
by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, inform us that users take
their lives in their hands. They show images of young people passed
out on dance floors with oblivious, drug-addled revelers all around
them. We hear voice-overs of coroner's reports giving the gruesome
details of an Ecstasy related death.

As is often the case with this organization's campaigns (remember
"This is your brain on drugs" with a picture of two fried eggs?), the
ads neglect to mention anything that can be done to prevent death from
occurring, save complete abstinence.

Following the slogan coined by Nancy Reagan in the 1980s, the
partnership wants our kids to "just say no." As a parent, I know that
saying no to my daughter does not always work. In fact, it sometimes
encourages her to rebel.

Even First Lady Laura Bush, whose own children's escapades have been
fodder for news coverage, was recently quoted as saying that "there's
a certain time when children are not going to do what their parents
want them to."

The bottom line is this: Statistics show that Ecstasy use is on the
rise, year after year. The kids aren't saying no.

In the same way that most adults see the sense in teaching safe sex
instead of preaching sexual abstinence to teens, we need to adopt a
more enlightened approach to educating our young people about drugs.

Informing parents and teens about certain behaviors and precautions
can save lives.

Instead of dire warnings and worst-case scenarios--which many teens
discount because they haven't experienced them yet--we can offer
practical guidelines.

A true public service message would tell kids: If you choose to use
drugs, here's how to be more safe:

* Mixing Ecstasy with other drugs or alcohol increases
risk.

* Heatstroke is a major life-threatening concern with Ecstasy. Stay
cool, take plenty of breaks from dancing and drink water.

* Over-hydration is another danger. Drinking too much water while on
Ecstasy can cause serious, potentially fatal complications. Drink only
enough fluids to replace what is lost through sweating. A pint an hour
is plenty.

* "Less is more." Taking one tablet carries less risk than two and so
on. This also goes for frequency of use. People who use Ecstasy
repeatedly risk depression, panic attacks or other psychiatric complaints.

There are reports of correlation between high-dose repeated Ecstasy
use and poor performance on memory tests.

* Testing the contents of Ecstasy pills may reduce the risks
associated with impurities in tablets.

* As with all drugs, driving, operating machinery or making important
decisions (such as whether or not to have sex) should be deferred
until sober.

Many government agencies are wary that giving honest information about
drugs "sends the wrong message" to today's youth.

Yet saying that a drug is dangerous or forbidden is simply not enough
when dealing with curious, novelty-seeking adolescents who often see
themselves as invulnerable.

Sex education has gone a long way toward reducing sexually transmitted
diseases and pregnancy among our nation's youth. It's time to adopt X
education--honest information about Ecstasy and other drugs--to
prevent more young people from dying.

Note:
Julie Holland, attending psychiatrist at Bellevue Hospital in New
York, is editor of "Ecstasy: The Complete Guide. A Comprehensive Look
at the Risks and Benefits of MDMA" (Park Street Press, 2001).