NOT RAVIN' ABOUT ECSTASY AND OTHER STUFF

I recently attended the Prince Rupert Trade Show with Const. Josee
Valiquette.

During the weekend, the most commonly asked question of me was "what is
ecstasy?"

Ecstasy has hit the news lately because of the growing popularity of the
Rave Scene that is the rage of young people all across the country. It has
become a 1990's way to recapture the peace, love, unity and respect (PLUR)
of the 1960's.

A Rave is an all night dance party where the people dance to techno dance
music. Raves do not sell liquor and are suppose to be "drug free".

However, there is a common practise to ingest the drug ecstasy
(methylendioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA). The problem with this is that a
lot of times the user believes that they are ingesting ecstasy, but that is
not the case.

The ecstasy is being substituted with more potent drugs such as MDA, (a
stronger type of ecstasy) and PCP (angel dust) which is a very dangerous
mind altering drug. There is no way for the user to know what he or she is
taking.

Ecstasy is commonly classified as a designer drug because it is made in
what we refer to as a laboratory. Ecstasy can be in pill, tablet or capsule
form.

It can come in a variety of colours with various scoring.(a design on the
tablet such as mickey mouse) There is a liquid form, similiar to that of
ecstasy which is called GHB (gamma-hydroxy-butyric-acid) also referred to
as Liquid X or liquid ecstasy.

GHB is often used as a "Date Rape" drug because it increases libido and
relaxes inhibitions.

Ecstasy is taken orally or snorted. The drug will take effect in 30 to 60
minutes after it is ingested into the body.

A release of serotonin from the brain, a key neurotransmitter in the brain,
results in feelings of well-being, confidence, high self-esteem and
heightens interpersonal feelings towards others.

Everyone loves everyone. Sounds great? Not really. In actual fact, the
ecstasy is causing acute depletion of serotonin.

In other words, the part of the body that tells a person they are hot or
they are thirsty is affected. They do not know when they are hot and
thirsty.

This can cause hyperthermia, tachycardia, breakdown of skeletal muscle with
kidney failure, paranoia and anxiety.

Ecstasy can cause serious damage to the body's organs which can result in
coma or death due to hyperthermia and dehydration.

In Prince Rupert, the Rave scene has not hit like that of Vancouver.
However, ecstasy is here.

The next common place for it is in the bars and at house parties. It is
really easy to access a rave sight on the internet and download the music
and away they go.

Unfortunately, there is insufficient research to state the long term
affects of ecstasy. We do not know how the user's mind or body will be
affected down the road.

And that should scare people.

It may feel good for six to eight hours, but how are you going to feel in
10 years?