THE AGONY OF ECSTASY

Inside SLO County's Rave Culture, Teens Are Using More and More E

The techno is pounding, the vibe is good, and the E has peaked.
Unfortunately for 17-year-old Lizzie, she has to be up in four hours for
first period at SLO High.

Lizzie* (the name is changed to protect her identity) is just one of many
young people who managed get out of the house Wednesday night to party at
Tortilla Flats' weekly rave known as "Bad Monkey." Hailing from all over
SLO County, many of these club kids didn't come just for the good music,
however. Coursing through their systems in various doses is the designer
drug ecstasy.

Ecstasy, or E, is a popular psychedelic drug that's been prevalent in the
rave community for more than 10 years. However, its popularity outside the
party scene has increased dramatically in the past year, becoming rampant
in such small towns as San Luis Obispo.

Commonly referred to as ecstasy, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
is a Schedule 1 synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and
hallucinogenic properties. It's ingested orally and has a chemical
structure similar to methamphetamine and mescaline. Federal regulators
classify MDMA as a drug with no accepted medical use.

U.S. Customs agents report that seizures of the tablets nationwide have
multiplied in just one year. In I999 Customs agents confiscated 3.5 million
pills throughout the United States, compared to 750,000 in 1998. This year
the total has already reached 4 million.

Even more disturbing, law enforcement agencies throughout the country are
seeing the distribution and use of MDMA and other narcotics spread from
such large cities as Los Angeles and New York into middle America.

A new study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found
that illegal drug use among adolescents and teenagers in small towns in the
United States is surpassing the rates in large cities.

The study found that adolescents in smaller cities are 104 percent more
likely than those in urban areas to use amphetamines, including
methamphetamines, and 50 percent more likely to use cocaine, 83 percent
more likely to use crack cocaine, and 34 percent more likely to smoke
marijuana.

The study also found that drug use by high school students in small towns
dramatically exceeded those in large urban areas for cocaine, crack,
amphetamines, and other illicit drugs. Anecdotal evidence shows that those
numbers have been mirrored here in the past 18 to 24 months.

Lollipop Princesses

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about SLO County's drug epidemic is not
that it exists, but that so many people refuse to believe it exists.
Lizzie, an attractive blonde with an affinity for lollipops, has been doing
recreational drugs since she was 14 years old but says her parents don't know.

It started in ninth grade with pot smoking after school with her friends,
then social drinking at parties on weekends, and in the past year
experimenting with ecstasy and other heavy drugs.

"My folks have no idea," she proudly states. "I mean, they have to suspect
I drink. But drugs - they have no clue!" she laughs. But in spite of this,
she maintains a 3.0 grade point average and is college-bound to Santa
Barbara. "As long as I keep up my grades, they let me go out with my
friends at night."

Lizzie says she and her friends try to make the Flats, located in downtown
San Luis, every Wednesday for dancing and drugs. "It's my release, my
escape from the pressures of home and school."

While such narcotics as cocaine and speed are readily available at most
clubs or parties, ecstasy has become the fashionable drug of choice amongst
SLO County's youth. As reported by the Office of National Drug Control
Policy, the typical ecstasy user is young, Caucasian, and from a middle to
upper socioeconomic group.

MDMA abuse may not be as widespread as that of many other drugs, but it
nonetheless has increased significantly - 500 percent - over a five-year
period. According to a National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded "Monitoring
the Future" survey, some 4.4 percent of the 1999 10th-graders reported some
use of ecstasy during the prior 12 months (up from 3.3 percent in 1998) and
5.6 percent of the 12th-graders (up from 3.6 percent in 1998).

Hits of E are relatively expensive at $20 to $25 a pill, but many kids, who
either get generous allowances from their parents or have part-time jobs,
have no problem with the prices. Availability is just a matter of asking
around.

And you don't have to ask very long. New Times sent a researcher into a
recent rave at the Forum on Marsh and found ecstasy use was open and common.

Coincidentally, undercover agents for the SLO Police Department were at
that rave as well and arrested six people for being under the influence of E.

"That's part of the rave culture," police Capt. Bart Topham said of ecstasy.

Knowing that, undercover officers observed the scene at the Forum. "We went
there and found that all that information was true," he said.

According to Sgt. Bud Silva, some arrests have been made in the past and
there will more than likely be a lot more.

"We have found indications that it is on the increase," he said.

Operators of all of the clubs mentioned in this story, and others as well,
say they take all possible steps to stop illegal drug use in their
establishments. But E is particularly difficult for clubs to police, given
its portability and ease of use.

Jim Sargen, owner of the Forum on Marsh, said that the sponsor of the raves
- - Empire Ballroom - had held five or six such dances without incident
before the recent arrests were made and that Thursday night's events came
as a surprise.

"That was the first time any of us had become aware of anything like that
happening locally," he said.

Despite the reputation raves can have, Sargen said the Forum on Marsh
booked Empire Ballroom because the facility tries to cater to a wide
variety of clients.

"We're in a community with an awful lot of young people, and we try to book
events that cover the range of the community," he said. "There have to be
outlets for young people."

When first approached with the possibility of contracting with Empire
Ballroom, Sargen said that stringent rules were established.

"When we were approached by the promoter of Empire Ballroom and the event
was scheduled, we had some really strict requirements - security on board,
no alcohol," he said. "But it's easier to check for alcohol than for pills."

Sargen said that following the arrests last Thursday the contracts with
Empire Ballroom were canceled.

"First off, we canceled the contract," he said. "We're very concerned with
our reputation. We do a tremendous number of events at the Forum, and we
don't want any problems, so the easiest way to avoid that is to cancel
[problem] events."

Empire officials could not be reached for comment.

According to Tortilla Flats owner Elias Nimeh, his popular downtown bar has
not had any problems with ecstasy use.

"I've heard that [ecstasy use] is common, and of course I have concerns
about it - that's a natural thing," Nimeh said. "We haven't had any
experiences with anything like that at Tortilla Flats, but we're always on
the lookout for it."

Nimeh said he has worked personally with local police to be able to
identify the presence of ecstasy and other drugs at events held at Tortilla
Flats.

"I'm not familiar with what (ecstasy) is and what it looks like, but I have
talked to police officers to find out what users would look like and act
like using it, to try to spot it if it's being used," Nimeh said.

"We work very hard in trying to ensure [drug use] does not happen."

Candy Flippin

Fifteen-year-old Jason* is standing in line at the Graduate with his
friends, all sophomores at Morro Bay High, on a crowded Sunday night. The
wait is worth it for Jason. Tomorrow is a holiday and there is no school.

Most of the younger kids are dropped off out front by their unsuspecting
parents, while others wander in from the night before going inside for the
remainder of the evening. To try and cut down on drug use off the premises,
the Grad, located in SLO on Industrial Way, has a strict no re-entry
policy. Some kids choose instead to sit in their parked cars the whole
night drinking and smoking.

Jason comes from a fairly wealthy family in Morro Bay. Without revealing
too much, he shares that his father is an influential figure in the
business community. He doesn't look or act it, but Jason is a privileged
young man; he scoffs at the suggestion that he is rich or spoiled.

Wishing to change the subject, he brags about his bad habits. He says that,
like most kids in his class, he drinks, smokes pot all the time ("Twice a
day during school.") and has tried other drugs. E is his new favorite.
Asked why he's so defiant, he shrugs his shoulders. He's quick to share
that drugs make him popular with many of the girls at school. His
14-year-old girlfriend wasn't allowed to go out tonight, so he will simply
find another young lady to "get with" by offering her "candy" (drugs).

Along with every other impressionable boy in line, Jason, a skinny lad
draped in the latest fashions, is trying desperately to look like a Sugar
Ray or Eminem; the girls, like Christina Aguilera.

Unlike the Flats on Wednesday night, which produces a mixed-age crowd of
avid ravers, the Grad caters exclusively to MTV-fed teens tonight; no one
over 18 allowed. It takes youthful looks, a fake student ID, and some
snazzy clothes to get this 21-year-old writer through the doors.

The dance floor is crowded with kids of all ages and persuasions. Girls no
older than 14 are dressed in revealing outfits that would make a stripper
at the Spearmint Rhino blush. It is confounding how these girls get out of
the house dressed like this; perhaps they changed in the girl's restroom
after their parents dropped them off.

Some of the more daring young women are dancing on a platform, reminiscent
of '60s go-go girls. Teen couples on the dance floor are grinding to the
thumping hip-hop. Those who don't want to dance (read: no one wants to
dance with them) line the walls watching.

Once inside, Jason and his friends begin mingling with others. They haven't
been to the Grad in a month and are ready to party. They are looking for E
and are willing to pay a lot for it. "My mom gave me 30 bucks tonight," one
of Jason' s friends snickers. "She dropped me off at [their friend's]
house. I told her I was going to see a movie and then go to Woodstock's."
He gives Jason his money. "Get me a dolphin."

Ecstasy pills come in a variety of colors and are often stamped with
cartoon characters and such popular symbols as happy faces, the Pac Man
ghost, cloverleaves, hearts, and the Nike logo. Each pill is different and
is distinguished for its purity, but the general effects are the same.

MDMA stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin from brain
neurons, producing a high that lasts several hours. The drug's effects vary
with dose and purity. Reports by the National Institute on Drug Abuse state
that ecstasy can produce such stimulant effects as an enhanced sense of
pleasure, profoundly positive feelings, increased energy boosts, and a
breakdown of inhibitions. Its psychedelic effects include feelings of
peacefulness, acceptance, and empathy. Users claim they experience
closeness with others and a desire to touch and hold.

A couple hours later Jason and his friends are sitting in the far corners
of the room, "peaking" on the E they scored from another teen. Beth* and
Nikki*, two of Jason's friends, are kissing. The rest of them are cuddling
and holding hands. The effects of the ecstasy are evident. Nikki, a thin
brunette with braces who's doing ecstasy for the first time, stops kissing
Beth for a moment to catch her breath and wipe her mouth. "I love E!" she
giggles.

A Rave Called Sharon

While the younger generation is just discovering ecstasy, there are the
more experienced veterans who have been around the drug for several years.
Sharon*, a 23-year-old coffee shop employee and South County local, is a
habitual user of E and also a dealer.

Having befriended many in the local rave scene, Sharon is on the guest list
for just about all the parties that are thrown in town.

The drug is not as available on the Central Coast as it is in Los Angeles
or San Francisco, so the demand is higher, as are the prices. Sharon buys
the drug directly from a supplier in Ventura and in turn sells it to local
clubgoers. A limited number of MDMA labs operate in the United States,
according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, with the vast majority of the
drug produced in Europe. Reports indicate that Israeli crime syndicates are
currently the primary source to U.S. distributors.

These overseas traffickers smuggle the drug in large shipments via mail
services or commercial airline couriers to major metropolitan cities in the
United States. The DEA indicates that the drug is then sold in bulk
quantity at the midwholesale level for approximately $8 per dosage unit.
The retail price of MDMA sold in clubs remains steady at $20 to $30 a pill.

Tonight, Sharon, a high school dropout, expects to sell more than 60 hits
of ecstasy to the attendees at the Forum's "Club Empire" party on Marsh
Street for a 75 percent profit. Her net would probably be a lot more if she
didn't use the drug herself almost every night. "It's an expensive habit,"
she says nonchalantly while fixing a pink beret in her short, jet-black hair.

The E she sells is cut with speed (methamphetamine) and other miscellaneous
pharmaceuticals. Most ecstasy is not pure and is usually cut with such
drugs as ephedrine, ketamine, atropine, 4-MTA, DXM, and others. Caffeine is
used in the cheaper-quality pills.

"I'd say most pills are only about 15 percent pure ecstasy. Everyone,
including myself, will lie to you and tell you it's more pure than it
really is," she says with no apologies. Sharon reveals that some
manufacturers cut their E with heroin to get their clientele physically
addicted. "But most of the time what you are taking is meth."

Regardless, they still keep buying. Sharon says she has not met one person
whose tried E that hasn't or wouldn't do it again. "Everyone likes E!"

A young girl with red hair dressed in a lace nightie and covered in glitter
approaches Sharon. She asks Sharon if she knows where she can get some E.
They withdraw to the ladies room. When she returns, Sharon explains that
the girl just bought five pills at $25 apiece. The girl took two and bought
the rest for friends. "That girl's second-day killer is going to be really
bad," she laughs, referring to ecstasy's dreaded physical toll the next
day, including extremely low energy, jaw aches, and stomach pains.

The attendees at the Forum are more into the rave scene than the
teenyboppers at the Grad. Everywhere one looks is a boy or girl decked out
in baggy pants, psychedelic shirts, and crazy hair. Glow-in-the-dark
necklaces and glow sticks, candy necklaces, children's backpacks, and
plastic visors are all the rave, no pun intended. A lot of them are sucking
on lollipops and baby pacifiers. These are the regular E users; the
pacifiers alleviate the incessant grinding of teeth that's an adverse
effect of MDMA.

Black lights illuminate the club into a surreal atmosphere of
phosphorescent bodies waving their hands and dancing to the 120 BPM (beats
per minute) techno. They are all one-with-the-groove, letting the music
control their moves. A DJ spinning his discs stands before them, not unlike
a conductor to a symphony.

Clearly, immorality seems to be the morality of the moment. The redhead who
bought the E from Sharon is making out with a boy she just met moments
before while dancing. It has only been 15 minutes since she took the pills.
"That girl is obviously just looking for any reason to act all slutty,"
Sharon's friend Jorge* says with haughtiness. Jorge, 25, is a
self-proclaimed (and quite obvious) "gay raver" from Los Angeles visiting
Sharon. His head is shaved and his tongue is pierced. "Her E hasn't even
kicked in yet," he says about the girl, gesturing wildly with his hands as
he speaks.

"Most of these kids have no idea what raving is about," Jorge exclaims.
"It's not about fashion, which is why most of these trashy girls came. And
it's not about getting laid, which is obviously why all these preppy
cheeseball guys are here tonight."

Indeed, most hardcore ravers will insist that raving is simply about the
music, the vibe, and the people. A way of expressing themselves through the
passion and love of being together. Jorge says there is nothing more
beautiful than "seeing a few hundred energy-filled kids who accept and
embrace the life force of the universe."

A visit to the alt.rave newsgroup on the Internet reveals a deep affection
for the rave culture. Poetry and musings talk of peace, love, and unity;
ideals of bringing people together and making them aware of themselves.

Nevertheless, it all seems to begin and end with drugs. As one rave website
says: "The next step...is being characterized by our ability to alter the
way we experience reality. By directly manipulating our minds, we are able
to directly manipulate our experience of reality."

Sharon and Jorge display contempt for any disregard of this philosophy and
are visibly upset over the popularity of raving and E.

"You have all these little brats running around doing E and thinking
they're ravers," says Sharon. "But the worst are the rich kids, especially
the [Cal] Poly sorority girls, dressed in their Gap and Express outfits,
who do E now just because it's hip."

Yet Sharon continues to sell to them without hesitation, admitting that
it's the popularity of the drug that is keeping her in business.

Kids These Days

Maria Arellano* shakes her head at what she' s heard. A state-licensed
youth counselor for many of San Luis Obispo's troubled teens, she sees the
likes of Sharon as but part of SLO's drug problem.

Arellano, who asked that her organization not be named so she could speak
freely in this article, has counseled countless adolescents and teenagers
with drug and alcohol habits. She says the real problem lies with poor
parenting, a failing education system, and insufficient counseling programs.

"If kids are offered drugs they will take them, it's as simple as that!"
she exclaims, adding that drugs are an accepted part of any scene nowadays.
It's the everyone-else-is doing-it-why-can't-we mentality that is getting
these kids in trouble, she says. "No one is giving them a reason not to. No
one is educating them on the consequences of using drugs. All their parents
tell them is that drugs are bad, then pat them on the head, give them some
money, and send them off to school."

Arellano, whose office in downtown San Luis is affiliated with a state
counseling program, concedes that her own knowledge of some drugs,
including ecstasy, is limited. This is excusable though as the effects of
MDMA use are just beginning to undergo extensive scientific analysis and
become readily available to the general public.

While it is not as addictive as heroin or cocaine, MDMA can cause several
adverse effects, including nausea, hallucinations, chills, involuntary
teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. MDMA users also
report aftereffects of confusion, depression, sleep problems, and anxiety
during, and sometimes weeks after, taking the drug.

An MDMA overdose is characterized by high blood pressure, faintness, panic
attacks, and, in more severe cases, loss of consciousness, seizures, and a
drastic rise in body temperature. Due to the stimulant effects of the drug,
MDMA overdoses can be fatal, as it may result in heart or kidney failure or
extreme heat stroke. MDMA-related fatalities at raves are being reported in
increasing numbers.

In 1998, the National Institute of Mental Health conducted a study of
long-term ecstasy users. The study revealed that a majority of users
suffered damage to the neurons in the brain that transmit serotonin, an
important biochemical. The results of the study indicate that MDMA users
may be at risk of developing permanent brain damage and other
neuropsychotic disorders.

New research provided by the American Academy of Neurology has determined
that use of methamphetamine, a primary ingredient in ecstasy, also results
in long-term damage to brain cells.

The number of kids she has to take to get drug treatment disheartens
Arellano. As the adage goes, adolescence is the age when their voices
change from no to yes. "It's getting pretty bad in SLO," she says.
"Fourteen-year-olds who smoke pot regularly. Sixteen year-olds who are
addicted to `tweek' - it's all very common." Nevertheless, Arellano says
the school administration and the parents remain reticent.

She adds that the recent popularity of raving, and especially ecstasy, has
revealed a whole new counterculture of sex and drugs that has not been
witnessed since the '60s. Arellano determines that the kids who take drugs
are also the most carefree about sex.

A majority of high school girls are sexually active, she says, but most
young girls who also take drugs usually wind up with either some sort of
sexually transmitted disease or pregnant. In the worst case, Arellano says,
these girls are easy targets for sexual advances and date rape while under
the influence of such drugs as ecstasy. Those incidents often go unreported.

When asked for a solution, Arellano is at a loss. "SLO County is in denial
of its drug problem," she states. "The school administrators, the city
council, the local politicians, they are all turning their backs to our
kids." Arellano says the administration not only has not produced any new
programs, but also has failed to support current ones. "They just don' t
believe there is a problem."

Arellano believes the prospects for today's youth are bleak. So long as
parents and teachers are not more involved, she thinks teenagers will have
nowhere else to turn to but the drug culture. And so long as they remain
uneducated they will keep using drugs recklessly.

"I'm Sure I'll Be Fine"

At a private house party several weeks later in downtown San Luis Obispo,
Lizzie, the SLO High senior, and some friends are in the living room
dancing to "jungle" music being broadcast on Cal Poly's KCPR radio. The
house is small but the energy is high. It's only 8 p.m. on a Saturday
night; Lizzie is good to go. She takes a purple lollipop out of her mouth
to speak. "I did E, and then my friend scored some GHB, which we took, so
we're all rolling right now."

GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), recently outlawed by the federal government,
is a highly concentrated liquid sedative with virtually the same effects as
E. But at only $1 a hit (one capful) GHB may soon replace ecstasy as the
new party drug of choice. While the addictive qualities are unclear, GHB
has a very high overdose rate and a reputation for being dangerously
unpredictable. GHB is also reported to cause epileptic seizures and coma.
Lizzie doesn't seem to be too concerned.

"I've never had a bad experience," she says, fluttering her arms above her
head to the music. "It's all good; I'm sure I'll be fine."

Jeordie White is a freelance writer. This is his first article for New
Times. Staff writer Steven T. Jones and intern Heather Hershman provided
additional research for this story.