Outrage as Fry praises "impressive" Ecstasy

Stephen Fry has provoked outrage after praising Ecstasy by saying it 'lives
up to the name'.

Fry, who is rector at Dundee University, has incensed lecturers, students,
police and drug workers with his claims that it had 'very impressive
qualities'.

His comments about the drug which has killed ten teenagers came in the
latest edition of the new movie magazine Neon. He may now be forced to
quit his position at the university and make a public apology.

The 40yearold actor and writer has admitted to a chequered past he was
expelled from school, put in prison on remand for credit card fraud and
once attempted suicide.

The latest revelation came as he publicised his new film about the life of
Oscar Wilde. In the interview he said: "I took Ecstasy a year or so ago,
when everyone was. One should try everything, except incest and country
dancing as somebody once said.

"It is very impressive, the effect. It doesn't suit me, though, because
I'm not a dancer."

"It does give one the desire to shake off this energetic feeling. I was at
a party. I was very interested to see that it does make alcohol very thick
and sticky."

"I could understand how clubs at the height of acid house were charging £5
for a bottle of Evian, because that's all you want. Water."

"I was surprised to see it lives up to the name Ecstasy, which means to
stand outside oneself "ecstasis".

"And also it made me a very touchyfeely person, and I kept on pawing people."

Dundee University, which operates a strict antidrugs policy, and the
Students' Association yesterday issued a joint statement condemning Fry's
comments.

It said : "Mr. Fry's opinion conflicts with the association's long
established and extremely strict antidrugs policy."

"Mr. Fry's views are not the views held by the association or the university."

"Ecstasy is dangerous and illegal. The association proactively informs
students about the dangers of and the issues arising from the misuse of
drugs."

Student's Association president Mark Burns is now seeking a meeting with
Fry to discuss the controversial comments and he may be asked to stand down
early. The Dundee Drug Prevention Team has called for his immediate
resignation.

Rita Keyte, team leader, said: "He ought to be considering his position as
rector after these comments. I am sorry he has given out his message while
he is connected to the university."

PC Fergus Storier, a Tayside police community involvement officer, said
"Comments like this do not help anybody. He is a high profile figure and
he should be using his high profile in a different way."

Janet Betts, who has tirelessly campaigned to heighten the awareness of the
dangers of Ecstasy since the death of her stepdaughter Leah, said: "I am
absolutely furious about this. Mr Fry should know better than to glorify
the use of Ecstasy."

"I noticed that he said nothing at all about the dangers of taking the drug."

"He himself got so depressed that he became suicidal. I would not be
surprised if that was a side effect of his Ecstasy taking."

"He is a role model for young people and has a responsibility not to go
around making outrageous statements like this."

Fry, whose autobiography, Moab is My Washpot, was published recently,
caused a storm two years ago when he quit the play Cell Mates after only
five appearances, claiming he was suffering from stress.

He is now travelling around the country publicising his book and was
unavailable for comment yesterday.

His agents said they would not comment on the issue.