Last week's column about Ecstasy - the "hug drug" - triggered a surprising
e-mail response. It amounted to a mini-debate on whether the designer drug
is dangerous or not. See what you think about this sample of replies:

From an Arlington High School freshman: "I think your story about 'hug drug
danger' is a load of crap. i like to party 'rave' i like techno and wear
bright colors. This (paragraph) makes me sick: 'Parents should be on the
lookout for telltale paraphernalia like pacifiers and Blow Pops, which help
alleviate the clenched jaw pressure that is another ecstasy side effect, the
DEA chief advised. He said chemical lightsticks are also a popular
accompaniment for the dancers on a roll. So is Vicks Vaporub, which is
rubbed inside painters' masks or blown through straws to enhance the high.'

"i wear a Pacifier and have alot of bright candy jewerly that doesnt mean i
use extacy heavly i love the music. Get your facts straight before you Take
Pop Shots at a Group of people who havent done anything to you, some of us
are smart enough not to Fry are brains i dont need drugs to feel the music
at a rave."

From a 29-year-old music promoter: "I thought you're article in this
Sunday's paper was very informative. As an electronic music promoter, or
'raves' as some people call them, there are several issues concerning drug
usage that are definitely threatening our shows. Most Dallas EMC (electronic
music concert) promoters have come together to form Metrotribe, of which I
am a council member. This group will hope to one day eliminate these
problems. Though we are just a month old, we have already banned several
items from our events such as vicks, masks, and pacifiers. This of course
will take time to do. Our goal is not only to eliminate the drug usage, but
also to encourage our concert goers to attend college, be helpful doing
community service, and registering to vote.

"A few points about your article that I did not like: 'Parents should even
be suspicious of dance parties that are billed in fliers as "alcohol free,"
he said, because often that is an insidious cover for ecstasy use.'

"This statement is implying that I, the EMC promoter, throw these events for
the sole purpose of people coming to my shows and doing drugs. We and ALL
the other promoters take HUGE steps to make sure that as little drugs come
in as possible. People coming to my events are thoroughly searched by hired
POLICE OFFICERS and security officers for drugs, alcohol and weapons. They
of course can't find everything. I'm sure you know that concerts featuring
artists like Kid Rock, LL Cool J, and even ZZ Top do not subject their
patrons to searches, even though drugs and violence happen at these events
on a daily basis. Even though some media and law enforcement officials think
that the promoters don't care, they're wrong. I know my peers care, and I
know I care."

From a professor at the South Texas College of Law: "I just read your
column, 'The "hug drug" danger' and found it appalling that a responsible
journalist would repeat so many half-truths and myths with an air of
hysteria and no apparent attempt to research any of the claims that you so
blithly repeated.

"Yes, it's worrisome that many children are using ecstasy; but putting
things in perspective, many, many fewer are using it than are using alcohol
or tobacco both of which can kill - and do so regularly. Alcohol use can
even kill other people.

"If you had bothered to look at the data, you would know that MDMA almost
never kills; virtually every death attributed to it was instead caused by
the laws against it. People were sold dangerous counterfeits since the safer
MDMA was also illegal. That illegality also caused you to conflate MDMA with
more dangerous club drugs like GHB, PCP, and Ketamine; it also causes the
kids to confuse them at their peril. Skateboards cause more deaths each year
than does MDMA.

"Contrary to your assertions, MDMA is not addictive. In fact, its action on
the brain almost assures that addiction cannot happen. The brain damage you
report came from one study analyzing the brain of a man who had died after
long years of excessive cocaine use who had also happened to use MDMA some
during his last few months. Which caused the damage?

"Children's use of drugs is a problem, but it is a problem that should be
faced with fact and honesty, not lies, myths and hysteria."

From an addiction counselor: "For the last three years I have worked with
drug addicted Dallas young people. During this time only one of my clients
reported using ecstasy. He attended a few raves, but he was addicted to pot.
His drug problem had nothing to do with ecstasy. No other client has ever
reported using ecstasy.

"Dallas kids abuse alcohol and marijuana. Compared to all other drugs, these
two are by far the biggest problems. We are coming to the time of year when
Dallas kids are most likely to die of alcohol related causes. Far more
Dallas kids go keg parties every weekend than go to raves. I would like for
the Dallas media to focus proportionately as much attention on teenage
alcohol abuse as it focuses on ecstasy.

"Remember that there has never been an ecstasy-related fatality in Dallas.

"Why do you and other members of the press think that ecstasy is such a big
deal? We have really serious youth problems, yet you all seem fascinated by
this trivial sideshow."

From an anonymous reader: "you are the most uniformed pile of nonreporting
crap the world has ever seen. you have never been to a rave, have you.
f-off"

From a young reader: "I and many others are growing very sick and tired of
these 'half-truths' of lies and accusations. First of all, not many people
'roll' at raves, its the very small percentage (maybe 10 percent at most)
that gives the impression that we all do X, when many of us don't. I for one
don't and I never have and never will. So you can see why I'm very sick of
being categorized as something I'm not. And many others have tried as well.
Promoters try their hardest not to let X come in. Even people inside the
scene like myself have tried, but it still comes in. What really irratates
me is that your article has a lot of false material in it. First of all, no
one is forced to take E, it is their choice. Second of all, there is no
false friendships at raves, if there is they are filtered out quickly
because our scene is based on PLUR (peace, love, unity and respect). I have
gone to many raves sober and talked to many people who were sober, and they
treated me with nothing but plur. There was nothing false about it. Third,
no one gets shot, raped, or anything else that you mentioned. As sickening
as it is, these 'E-tards' take X, GHB (date-rape drug), and K (horse
tranquilizer) all on their own will, and it isn't slipped in their drinks.

"Our scene was never based on the drugs, it was always about the music.
Thanks to the e-tards and the media, drugs are always going to be the focus.
But remember if we get rid of the scene then you'll have to get rid of
concerts, clubs, and corporate america, since you can find 'rave' drugs here
as well."

From the principal at an inner-city high and middle school: "Thank you for a
well written and timely editorial on 'The High Drug' in Sunday's paper. We
have just had a situation where some students have admitted using ecstasy on
a fairly regular basis. These students are all currently in counseling and
we are getting them help, and stepping up awareness with teachers and
students. One of the concerns I have is that most parents are oblivious to
the dangers of this drug.

May we please copy your editorial, with full acknowledgments, in our monthly
newsletter which will go out at the end of March? May we also copy your
editorial and leave it out for parents when they come to collect their kids?
It is an editorial that can do a great deal of good for us. We would greatly
appreciate your help."

Of course, I liked the last letter best. But all the others made me stop and
think about the world we live in. And it reminded me of what New York Times
journalist Tom Friedman said about the difficulty of covering the turmoil in
the Middle East, where there often is no truth, only differing versions of
truth.