THE STORY OF 'E' -- WHAT IT IS, HOW MUCH IT COSTS, WHAT IT DOES

Ecstasy

Other Names: X, E, Mdma.

Chemical Name: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.

Appearance: Coloured tablets or capsules.

Street Price: $30 a hit.

Origin: Mainly, underground tablet presses in Europe and large-scale
illicit labs on the West Coast. Occasionally made in home labs by what
the RCMP describe as "Beavis & Butthead" chemists. Often mixed with
more dangerous drugs (including PCP and crystal meth) at the
manufacturing stage.

History: Ecstasy, classed as a stimulant with hallucinogenic
properties, was first synthesized in 1914 and originally sold as a
diet pill. In the 1970s, some doctors prescribed it as an aid to
psychotherapy, utilizing the drug's apparent ability to enhance
empathy and act as a "truth serum." It was first used as a street drug
in the 1980s in Texas and the U.K. By the early '90s, ecstasy was a
club and rave staple in major cities across North America and Europe.
Most recently, it has spread to smaller centres and more middle-class
environments and is known well beyond the club scene. Police are most
concerned with its use by young teenagers.

Recreational Use: Used to achieve a euphoric state of well-being.
Creates an LSD-like "buzz" without actual hallucinations, heightens
sensory awareness and makes people more "personable." Upon first use,
may unleash a cathartic flood of deep-seated emotions.

Duration: Effects usually last six to eight hours.

Not to be confused with: MDA, MDE and MMDA, other methamphetamine
variants that may be sold as ecstasy or in combination with ecstasy.

Common Undesired Effects: Casual users may experience visual
distortions, grinding teeth, confusion, exhaustion, anxiety or panic
attacks and post-use depression.

Serious Adverse Effects: A matter of great debate. Originally believed
to be harmless, MDMA now figures prominently in the medical
literature. In combination with extreme physical activity, repeated
ecstasy use may lead to hyperthermia (severe overheating) and
dehydration, which in turn may cause even more serious effects in
extreme cases: kidney failure, heart failure, dangerous blood clots
and the breakdown of muscle tissue. European medical literature is
full of well-documented cases.

Long-term use may also lead to depleted levels of serotonin, a
neurotransmitter, effectively causing brain damage, according to new
research from Johns Hopkins University. This is still the subject of
medical debate.

Canadian police have linked 11 deaths (nine in Toronto, one in Halifax
and one in Vancouver) to ecstasy use in the past 18 months. As well,
over the past 14 months, two Winnipeg teenage males underwent liver
transplants after taking what they believed to be ecstasy.

Typically, users dismiss these reports as anti-drug propaganda, citing
the even more lethal effects of legal substances such as alcohol,
tobacco, prescription medication and sniffing solvents. But even the
pro-ecstasy Web site dancesafe.org contains a detailed explanation of
MDMA-related neurotoxicity.

Legality: Illegal in the U.S. since 1986. Never legal in Canada, where
it's listed under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The possession of ecstasy for the purpose of trafficking carries the
same penalties as the possession of LSD and magic mushrooms: a maximum
$1,000 fine or three months in jail upon summary conviction, or up to
seven years in prison after conviction upon indictment.

Police Opinion: Extremely dangerous and potentially lethal. Winnipeg
police make regular seizures and are extremely disturbed that dealers
are "targeting children."

Medical Opinion: Unpredictably dangerous. An unacceptable
risk.

Street Opinion: An acceptable risk for adults if safety precautions
are taken, users say.

Presence In Winnipeg: Common. About one in 10 students in Grade 11 and
about one in 20 university students have tried the drug, recent survey
research suggests.

Photo Marc Gallant/Winnipeg Free Press