DESIGNER DRUG USE HAS HIGH SCHOOL ON ALERT

Parents Should Learn Signs Of Use, Administrators Say

Officials at Woodcreek High School are urging parents to learn the
warning signs of Ecstasy use after a rash of incidents at the campus
involving the so-called "club drug."

The discovery of multiple students' use of the drug was the topic of
a community forum held Monday night inside the Woodcreek library.
About 35 parents turned out for a briefing on the incidents and to
learn the dangers of a substance that enforcement officials say is
making a comeback.

Administrators found three female freshmen to be under the influence
of Ecstasy while on campus Aug. 25 after receiving reports of
abnormal behavior, Woodcreek Principal Jess Borjon said. The incident
led to an investigation that has so far turned up four students
suspected of furnishing Ecstasy, as well as three additional students
suspected of purchasing it.

None of the students were found in possession of the substance, but
reportedly admitted to purchasing it when questioned by school officials.

Being under the influence is punishable by five days' suspension,
Borjon said. Selling or furnishing the drug could lead to a
punishment of expulsion. Four juveniles were referred by Roseville
Police to the Placer County District Attorney's Office, said
Roseville Police Spokesperson Dee Dee Gunther.

Saying he wanted to cut through the "rumor mill" that has shifted
into overdrive in recent weeks, Borjon explained how the initial
incident was followed by an extensive inquiry into the drug's
prevalence on campus. Nearly 30 students were questioned or
volunteered information in the weeks since the initial incident, he said.

"We went on a trail, if you will, investigating every lead, every
particular area that we had," Borjon told attendees.

Borjon said administrators acted quickly to counter the drug's
availability and use on campus because of its well-known health risks.

"Ecstasy is very different than marijuana and alcohol, not that any
of those are any good, but it's very dangerous," Borjon said. "And
that caused us some alarm."

Ecstasy, known as a "designer drug" because it is created in a lab,
produces a feeling of euphoria in users by stimulating a center of
the brain responsible for producing the chemical serotonin. But use
of the drug can also lead to severe health problems. Because it is
often homemade, Ecstasy is subject to large swings in potency and
purity. Users may have no idea what is in the pill they are taking,
and tablets may contain poisonous substances or other drugs such as
cocaine, methamphetamine and the anesthetic ketamine.

Research suggests it may cause permanent brain injury. And, thousands
of emergency-room cases related to the drug are reported each year.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the drug can elevate
the body's heart rate and blood pressure to dangerous levels.

"Their blood pressure goes through the roof," Woodcreek Youth Service
Officer Bob Gillis said of Ecstasy users. Gillis worked with school
officials during the investigation.

Gillis said among Woodcreek students suspected of being under the
influence of Ecstasy, the lowest pulse rate he monitored was 140; the
highest was 160.

"That's a workout level, and you're generally doing that for eight to
nine hours. You can imagine what that does for your heart," he said.

Gillis added Ecstasy use has seen a decline in the past several
years, but Roseville Police officers are being notified of the drug's
resurgence. Woodcreek students also received a lesson in the drug's
dangers during class time, Borjon said.

FYI

What: Ecstasy

Street names: E, X, Adam, Stacy, Clarity, Essence

Signs: Dilated pupils, excessive thirst, teeth gnashing, use of the
word "Thizzing"