DESIGNER DRUG HITS HOME

They call it White Buddha, Nike swoosh, Superman, Mitsubishi, white star or
Mercedes, but whatever shape, size, color or symbol, the designer drug
Ecstasy is the latest craze sweeping Solano County and the nation.

The most dramatic local example of its impact came in March, when
17-year-old Shawn Spontini overdosed and died at a friend's Vacaville home
after swallowing multiple pills through the course of an evening.

Meanwhile, Solano County health officials say they're playing catch-up,
trying to understand the elusive phenomenon.

Ecstasy's champions say the drug shuttles users to a sensory world rife with
pleasure and self-satisfaction. Lights shine brighter. Music sounds sweeter.
And touch feels more intense.

A hybrid of the hallucinogen mescaline and the stimulant amphetamine, some
describe the tiny pills as an antidote for teenage angst, a remedy for
isolation, confusion and sadness.

They contend the most serious dangers facing Ecstasy users can be alleviated
by avoiding high-risk situations associated with the drug.

Detractors, on the other hand, say Ecstasy sends users on a journey that
will inevitably take a deadly turn. They also point to studies that suggest
the possibility of brain damage.

They malign all-night dance parties called raves - the scene most commonly
associated with Ecstasy - as dens of illegal drug consumption.

Local teens who flock to Bay Area raves each weekend join Internet
millionaires who insist the scene transcends a simplistic link to drugs.

A mixture of digital music, warmth and acceptance fires these parties with
an irresistible vibe, say partygoers.

Yet like youth cultures of the past, drugs are part of the package.

Pick a decade, select a music scene and you'll find a mind-altering
substance of choice, say rave enthusiasts.

In the 1960s, psychedelic music lovers turned on, tuned in and dropped out
with LSD. Cocaine and alcohol fueled the punk and heavy metal scenes of the
1980s. Gangsta rap sparked a resurgence of marijuana use in the 1990s under
the moniker "the chronic."

Kids of the new millennium opt for Ecstasy.

In the past decade recreational use has swelled, prompting the federal
government to clamp down on a drug that has been around since the early part
of the century.

Ecstasy, which is typically taken in pill form, acts on the brain's
mood-regulating system, causing large amounts of serotonin to be released.
The high last for about six hours.

Primarily manufactured in Europe, the often brightly colored tablets are
stamped with a variety of logos, including recognizable name brands that
play on the "designer drug" label such as Ck for Calvin Klein. Others adopt
cultural icons such as "S" for Superman.

Vacaville teens say the drug is more accessible than ever around town.

Walking down the halls of any high school, they are never more than minutes
from reaching Ecstasy, they say.

One detective at the Vacaville Police Department hopes to reverse that trend
by educating parents and school officials about Ecstasy and the cultural
markers, including butterflies and pacifiers, that he says could indicate
drug use.

Others say the key to heading off Ecstasy-related deaths and emergencies
lies with practical tips for using the drug safely.

And caught in the middle, a new group of teens struggle to define themselves
and their generation.