PERMANENT DAMAGE BY ECSTASY USE DISCOVERED
By Kevin O'Sullivan

Frequent users of the drug ecstasy are beginning to show signs of permanent
organ damage, memory loss and depression, a conference in Dublin has heard.
The director of Trinity College School of Pharmacy, Dr Desmond Corrigan,
said that while most attention was focused on deaths from heatstroke it
was not the only cause of death, and users should be aware of the longterm
risk of liver and heart damage.

Recent research, using a new brainscanning technique known as PET
scanning, had shown direct evidence of damage to key nerve cells in the
brains of ecstasy users.

"Its significance lies in the fact that the cells involved produce
serotonin, a chemical linked to depression."

Speaking at an Eastern Health Board conference on "Meeting the Ecstasy
Challenge", Dr Corrigan said it appeared that some damage was repairable
and some was not.

Ecstasy came, he said, in various chemical forms, which were often mixed
together. Ripoffs were also on the market, which complicated the process
of risk evaluation.

"Harm reduction could and should address immediate risk but longerterm
problems will still remain a worrying aspect."

The EHB education officer, Ms Sheilagh ReaperReynolds, said anecdotal
evidence suggested that "regular, recreational ecstasy users [in Ireland]
number in the tens of thousands."

This warranted the question why we had failed so effectively in tackling
the problem.

Notwithstanding short to mediumterm effects including anxiety, psychosis
and mood change, ecstasy's full legacy might only become apparent with
evaluation of longerterm effects, said Mr Fran Bissett of the National
Youth Federation.

He expressed concern about the lack of accurate data on its use. A sharp
decline in ecstasy seizures in 1996 might reflect on Garda performance or
represent a temporary blip in consumption trends, he said.

This contrasted with the view of fulltime youth workers who feel young
people over 15 are consuming more ecstasy, according to Mr Bill Blake of
Dublin Youth Services. In addition, young people did not necessarily stop
when made aware of the risks, or when an acquaintance died from taking the
drug.

"Most using hash and 'E' would say they obtain their drugs from friends and
acquaintances rather than pushers. This suggests a greater and more
constant pressure on the young person who wants to say no, arising from
peer pressure, availability and general acceptance that certain drugs are
OK to use," he said.