NEW JERSEY STIFFENS PENALTIES FOR ECSTASY DRUG

By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI TRENTON, July 3 -- Gov. Christine Todd Whitman signed
a bill today that increases the legal penalties for possession and sale of
the synthetic drug Ecstasy.

Ecstasy is the street name of the compound MDMA, which has become
increasingly popular among high school and college students and club-goers
because it produces feelings of euphoria and mildly hallucinogenic effects,
with few immediately apparent side effects.

Surveys of high school and college students indicate that MDMA is growing
in popularity, even as the use of other drugs like cocaine and marijuana
has leveled off.

The drug is sold under a variety of brand names, including X, Adam,
clarity, XTC and essence.

Under the old law in New Jersey, possession of any amount of the drug was a
third-degree offense, punishable by up to five years in prison. But most
first-time offenders received only probation. Under the new law, the
maximum penalty is as high as 20 years.

Several recent studies have suggested that even limited use of Ecstasy may
cause brain damage and memory loss.

Mrs. Whitman said those reports, plus several large seizures of Ecstasy by
New Jersey police officers in recent months, had persuaded her to ask state
legislators to put Ecstasy into the same legal class as heroin and cocaine.

The governor's proposal received overwhelming support from lawmakers, and
she said today that she hoped that the severity of the punishment would
convince teenagers of Ecstasy's danger.

"A quick thrill isn't worth the threat of long-term damage to your health
and future," Mrs. Whitman said.

The new law makes it a first-degree offense to manufacture or distribute
Ecstasy. Penalties for possession of the drug escalate depending on the
amount: from a 5-year prison term for a half-ounce or less to 20 years in
prison for possession of five ounces or more. Each ounce of Ecstasy is
usually divided into about 100 pills.