Governor Whitman, together with state legislators, has increased
criminal penalties for possessing and selling Ecstasy ("New Law
Strikes hard at Ecstasy Use," July 4).

There are inherent dangers in using Ecstasy, but Ritalin and
prescription diet drugs can also cause similar damage, which are
related to Ecstasy in their structures and effects.

Moreover, the deadliest drugs in order of deaths annually, are: 1.
tobacco, 2. alcohol, 3. prescription drugs, 4. aspirin and
over-the-counter drugs. If the drugs were ordered in decreasing order
of deaths caused, all the prescription drugs that are known to be
harmful but are still pushed by drug companies in search of profits
would crowd Ecstasy off a reasonably long list.

As has happened with heroin, increasing penalties for Ecstasy users
and distributors only increases harm as such suppression encourages a
black market with deadly substitutes and enhancers. Deaths from using
Ecstasy look-alikes are already increasing.

Drug warriors using the tactics of "moral panic" to scapegoat the
young and to exacerbate intergenerational conflicts can only increase
drug-war casualties.

Kevin Fansler, Havre de Grace, Md., July 5