POLICE WARN PUBLIC OF DANGERS OF ECSTASY

Police are warning the public about the dangers of ecstasy after a recent
drug bust that included 81 of the pills.

Ecstasy is an amphetamine that gives the taker energy and a high. Street
names for it are hug drug, love drug or E. Prices range from $20 to $50 per
pill. It is mainly available in pill form and is known as a designer drug.
That means the pills commonly have some sort of logo on them ranging from
the Nike swish to the word love or a picture of an animal.

"It doesn't take much to get high and it also doesn't take much to
overdose," said Const. Kevin Clarke.

Ecstasy is a central nervous system stimulant and intensifies the senses.
It often results in the user having a need to touch other people. Other
symptoms are an increase in heart rate, teeth grinding and dry mouth. Since
the heart rate increases so much, it's easy to die from heart failure with
an overdose.

From 1998 to 2000, 14 people died in Ontario from consuming ecstasy.

"The trouble with it is you never know what's in it," said OPP community
services officer Const. Dennis Harwood. "Somebody is brewing this stuff up
and heaven knows if they know what they contain."

Harwood said ecstasy is found in Tillsonburg, as is the case anywhere else,
but is not necessarily popular.

He warned a parent finding any type of drug on their child to be concerned.
Problems like this don't just disappear, he said.

"Parents need to be alert if they're finding drugs in their kid's pockets,"
he said. "The old 'I'm holding it for somebody' - no, I don't think so."