CLUB DRUGS' MAKING INROADS INTO TRI-STATE

Ecstasy and other drugs used at dance clubs, raves and college scenes are
gaining popularity among youth nationwide, according to recent studies.

And "club drugs" that can cause serious health problems or death may be more
common in the Tri-State than one think, says a local director of substance
abuse services.

"Ecstasy's here," said Kim Miller, director of women's substance abuse
services at Prestera Center for Mental Health Services Inc. "It's not the
most common drug, but I suspect it's more prevalent than we know."

Area law enforcement officials are on the lookout for ecstasy, LSD and other
drugs. Jim Terry, chief of the Marshall University Police Department, said
there have been two arrests for possession of ecstasy in the past 18 months.

Miller attended a scientific conference in Maryland this past summer
sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, based in Bethesda, Md.
From information she gathered at the conference and clients in the Tri-State
she has talked to, she suspects ecstasy and other club drugs are emerging in
the Tri-State.

Ecstasy (also known as MDMA), GHB, rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine and
LSD are some of the club or party drugs gaining popularity that users say
help them relax and eliminate anxiety, according to the NIDA. These drugs
are popular among teen-agers and young adults and can cause permanent brain
damage, Miller said.

"We are aware of the emergence of club drugs," said Joe Ciccarelli,
supervisory senior resident agent with the FBI in Charleston. "We certainly
are aware of the trend. It's a problem nationwide."

According to the 2000 Monitoring the Future Survey from NIDA, ecstasy use
among eighth-graders increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 3.1 percent in
2000. Use among 12th-graders increased from 5.6 percent in 1999 to 8.2
percent in 2000. Use is also on the rise among college students.

The 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse conducted by the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that an estimated 1.5
percent (3.4 million) of Americans had used ecstasy at least once. By age
group, the heaviest use (5 percent or 1.4 million people) was reported for
those between 18 and 25.

Students you would never expect to be using drugs are trying it, Miller
said.

"I think it's the name that's so attractive to them," she said. "They're
introduced to ecstasy by friends. The most dangerous thing about ecstasy is
it can be mixed with other drugs."

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy published a report in
2000 stating club drugs are emerging in Seattle, Los Angeles, Honolulu,
Denver, El Paso, Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, Miami, Columbia,
S.C., Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Portland, Sioux
Falls and Detroit.

The most common type of ecstasy available in these cities is the pressed
pill or tablet form, followed by powder and liquid forms. A tablet can be
bought for $20 to $25 and can be taken whole, inhaled or injected. In Los
Angeles, homemade ecstasy is reportedly increasing, according to the report.

Dangerous Side-Effects

Because these drugs are illegal and often produced in makeshift labs, they
may contain chemicals that make them even more dangerous, Miller said.

"I don't know of another drug that has such a significant long-term impact
on the brain," Miller said about ecstasy. "I don't think kids and parents
know about it."

The short-term effects of these drugs include a high energy level, losing
inhibitions and feeling the same euphoria you would with cocaine, Miller
said. Ecstasy is a stimulant that increases heart rate and blood pressure.
GHB and rohypnol are sedatives that are used in date rape and other assaults
and can make someone unconscious and suffer amnesia, she said.

"You begin to feel effects in an hour and it lasts five to six hours," she
said. Some people feel paranoid or anxious and may suffer hallucinations and
feel impulsive, she said.

"Ecstasy acts on the front part of the brain that controls inhibition," she
said. "People do things they normally wouldn't do."

But the long-term and adverse side effects far outweigh the initial euphoria
users may feel. The drug elevates the core body temperature, which can lead
to dehydration, heart failure and respiratory problems, Miller said. This is
mostly a drug for recreational users.

Users can develop an irregular heartbeat and can cause damage to their
liver. They may feel depressed for days and weeks afterward and suffer from
sleep disorders and flashbacks as well as muscular breakdown and kidney
failure.

"You never feel good again," she said. "It changes the whole way your brain
is wired."

A small number of deaths have been reported among ecstasy users; however, it
is unclear whether these deaths were the direct result of ecstasy use
because it is often taken in conjunction with alcohol or other drugs,
according to NIDA.

Regular users require more and more to get the same effect, Miller said.
MDMA was first developed in 1912 by Merck as an appetite suppressant, Miller
said. It was patented in 1914, but was not seen again until the 1950s when
it was tested as a possible weapon in psychological warfare. Not until 1985
was ecstasy made an illegal substance, she said.

"There's an interest because of the dangerous and long-lasting effects of
ecstasy on the brain," she said. "They're just starting to study these club
drugs."

Law On The Lookout

Joe Ciccarelli of the FBI said he does not know the exact numbers of arrests
of ecstasy in West Virginia, but law enforcement agents do have a heightened
sense of awareness.

"We continue to assess to see what's a significant problem," he said.

Raves, or all-night dance parties, may happen different nights at different
bars or at someone's house, which makes them difficult to control, Miller
said.

"Any community with a college setting would potentially be more at risk,"
Ciccarelli said.

Jim Schiedler, chief deputy of the Cabell County Sheriff's Department, said
the drug has not been a problem in the county, but he has heard it is a
significant problem in Huntington.

For more information about ecstasy or other club drugs, call Prestera's
Addictions Recovery Centers at (304) 525-1522 or visit prestera.org.