DEBATE GOES ON OVER DRUG 'ECSTASY'

WASHINGTON - Ecstasy (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA) works
by targeting cells in the brain that release serotonin. The drug
causes cells to release all of their supply of the chemical into the
bloodstream, creating a powerful high. The street price for MDMA is
between $20 and $30 per dosage unit.

The main supply of MDMA comes from Europe, particularly from the
Netherlands and Belgium. There is also a small amount being produced
domestically. The Drug Enforcement Agency also reports that "Israeli
organized crime syndicates - some composed of Russian emigres
associated with Russian organized crime syndicates - have forged
relationships with Western European traffickers and gained control
over a significant share of the European market."

The majority of people who use MDMA are young adults and adolescents,
and it has gained popularity at clubs and all-night dance parties. The
extent to which MDMA has seeped into the culture can be observed by
looking at recent films. "Groove" by Greg Harrison, which debuted at
the Sundance Film Festival, and "Better Living Through Circuitry" by
Jon Reiss are both films released this year that deal with the "rave
culture" and ecstasy.

To protect users from accidentally taking tainted pills, one company
is selling the EZ Test. This is an $18 test that consists of an
information sheet and a bottle containing 200 drops of EZ Test
reagent, which will shows if it is pure ecstasy or not. There is also
a group that goes from rave to rave testing pills to make sure that
they are pure ecstasy and not tainted pills.

Emanuel Sferios, founder of DanceSafe, a nonprofit organization
headquartered in Oakland, Calif., says, "The fake pills are often
times more likely to kill you. We screen against fake pills and have
successfully prevented thousands of young people from swallowing pills
that didn't contain ecstasy and had more dangerous substances."
Supporters of DanceSafe include Bob Wallace, the ninth person hired at
Microsoft, who has donated almost $300,000 for research on
mind-altering drugs, and Steve Simitzes, a 25-year-old dot-com
millionaire, who says, "If people are going to use drugs, they're
going to use drugs. Let's make sure they are doing it safely."

Critics of DanceSafe, however, are many. Steve Casteel, chief
intelligence officer for the DEA wonders, "What kind of message are we
sending the kids? I'm really concerned about the false sense of
security that DanceSafe brings. The message they deliver by having the
word 'safe' in their title is a false one. That is a misguided
philosophy at best, a dangerous one at worst. It's like putting on a
seat belt so you can go 1,000 miles per hour. It just doesn't work."

Proponents of the drug, however, argue that MDMA has significant
therapeutic value. It allows people to trust more easily and be more
open with therapists, lovers and family members. But what is really at
issue is whether or not drug use is a private matter, and toward that
end several states have recently legalized medical use of marijuana.
The debate goes on.