TEN YEARS ON, CLUBBERS FIND THEY CANNOT KICK THE ECSTASY HABIT

Having spent years believing ecstasy was non-addictive, thousands of
young clubbers have discovered they are hooked. Drug agencies are
reporting a massive increase in the numbers finding it impossible to
stop taking "tabs".

"Es" took Britain by storm 10 years ago and the first ecstasy
generation, now reaching their late 20s and early 30s, are showing all
the signs of addiction, especially psychological dependence.

Caroline McDonald, of London's Core agency, said: "The drugs and the
social scene has become the centre of their life. They're living just
for that and there's nothing much else going on."

John, 33, from Manchester, started taking ecstasy and speed 15 years
ago. "It's socially acceptable for people I know to take drugs because
everyone does it," he said. "Even though I know they're not good for
me, it's difficult to stop. When I go to clubs I see people in a mess
and that's why I know I shouldn't take it - but sometimes I feel like
I need some to get into the atmosphere, and I always take too much."

Sam, 32, from London, said: "I can't imagine going to a club without
taking drugs. I couldn't bear it. I wish I wasn't taking drugs, even
though I'm not taking what I used to. Recently, I wasn't able to work
until the following Thursday."

This is a common reaction according to Ms McDonald. "They're having
more time off, they're not functioning to the capabilities they were
before," she said. "They may have lost their job. They're finding it
impossible to keep both sides of their life going, because there's
only so long you can go before burning out."

Drug agencies claim they are receiving up to 100 calls a week from "E
junkies". Ciaran O'Hagan, of London's Release agency, said: "They are
saying, where do we go? They want to change their lifestyle and go
somewhere else but they're still connected to drugs somewhere along
the line."

Alan Haughton, former manager of Manchester's Lifeline agency, worked
in the city through the Nineties explosion in dance and drug culture.
"We were getting increasing numbers of people who wanted to get off
the stimulant roundabout and either didn't have the support network of
friends or didn't know the right way of doing it," he said.

The use of drugs like ecstasy has exploded since the early Nineties,
with up to a million people taking recreational drugs each weekend.
Warnings of adverse reactions and possible health risks have increased
over recent years. The MDMA in ecstasy causes changes in brain
chemistry and can affect serotonin levels, which are related to mental
happiness.

Matthew Collin, author of Altered State, a comprehensive history of
dance culture, explained how hard it was for people to readjust.
"Drugs are everywhere and unavoidable," he said. "All your friends are
still taking drugs. Your whole idea of pleasure and recreation is
bound up with drugs.

"It is a psychological addiction to a lifestyle: you can't imagine
life being as bright, shiny and fun without psychoactive mood
enhancement. In

comparison to the glittering empire of nocturnal hedonism, the real
world is a rather dull and grey place."