A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON EXTASY

Regarding "Ecstacy secures niche in Hawai'i drug scene" (Advertiser, Aug.
27): I feel the need to respond to some things that were brought up in the
article pertaining to Extasy use in Hawai'i since a large part of the
article was based on my comments.

First, I am not a drug treatment specialist. I work for the Waikiki Health
Center's Care-A-Van program, which provides services to the homeless. I do
often have to deal with substance abuse with my clients but I am not
specifically trained in substance-abuse treatment.

Second, I never said Extasy was a drug that parents should not be alarmed
about. Yes, it is an illegal drug and parents should be concerned about
their children using this drug. It has some very real side-effects, some of
which are being determined long-term.

The part of my statement that was left out was that this drug differs from
many others in that its users are not robbing and killing to obtain it.
Extasy is not a violent drug and the people on it are not usually carrying
guns or knives. Users of Extasy are often more sociable and outgoing, as
long as it isn't abused. And I have seen many more people experiment with
this drug and move on with their lives much more easily than people trying
to recover from crack, cocaine or crystal meth addictions, not to mention
alcohol.

Finally, I never got a chance to respond to Carolyn Gologuch's comments.
When I stated that Extasy was "recreational," it was in the context that
people are using it as if they might be drinking alcohol. It's not
something you expect a co-worker to be using while at work or something an
athlete would be on during a game as many crystal meth addicts may be
accustomed to.

I never said it was a "fun" or "funny" drug, either. I have never known
anyone to be using it anywhere near six nights a week. This is rare in my
experience, and if I did know about someone using it that much, I would
have cared enough to step in and say something to them -- provide them with
the information they need. I'm glad one woman's son was able to overcome
this challenge and recover, but you will find that in most cases, doctors
have found no physical addiction, and the psychological addiction is much
more easily overcome than other drugs.

Overall, I thought the article was well presented. I mainly wanted to shift
the blame for the presence of Extasy in Hawai'i away from the rave scene.
We aren't all bad or drug addicts, and like any young adults, we are trying
to enjoy life. Our whole culture is based on PLUR -- Peace, Love, Unity and
Respect, things that can have just as much impact as drugs.

Kai Takayama