DOCUMENTING THE AGONY OF ECSTASY

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- It's taken in dimly lit rave clubs. It's downed on
neatly manicured school campuses and used in professional psychotherapy
sessions.

Ecstasy -- America's illicit drug of choice, a pretty poison that comes in
a variety of pill forms emblazoned with everything from the word love to
the face of a bunny rabbit.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that hundreds of
millions of Ecstasy pills are taken each year and that about 2 million new
users are recruited every year.

No other drug -- not heroin, not marijuana, not cocaine -- has ever spread
so quickly.

To curb its spread, the government has spent millions of dollars making the
case that Ecstasy, a mood elevator that produces a relaxed, euphoric state,
can cause brain damage and even death.

But the government's claims were based on flawed science. The truth is, no
one really knows for sure whether Ecstasy has any long-term, negative
consequences. Much of what the government touted in its dramatic campaigns
had to be retracted later.

And that disturbed Peter Jennings.

"Government is best when government is most honest, especially for the
younger generation, which is more susceptible to trying drugs," says ABC's
"World News Tonight" veteran anchor. "If (young people) can't rely on the
government for good and honest information, then government has lost
something enormously valuable, which is people's belief in the government's
credibility."

As a concerned parent, Jennings wanted to shine a high-profile light on the
growing Ecstasy problem and the government's reaction to it by hosting
"Primetime Thursday: Peter Jennings Reporting: Ecstasy Rising "(10 p.m.
Thursday).

The one-hour special is an informative look at the little-known history of
Ecstasy and the government's failed attempts to stop the drug's massive
distribution.

"This was an opportunity for us to look at whether or not the government
isn't its own worst enemy in trying to control illegal drugs," Jennings says.

And is it?

"Yes," Jennings replies. "I believe a lot of people in government
understood the science (about Ecstasy's negative side effects) was not
good. But not until real attention was drawn to it did they take down their
Web site on Ecstasy."

Jennings admits working on the special was educational for him.

"I had no idea Ecstasy was as old as it is," he says. "I had no idea that
it had been introduced in California through psychotherapy, and I had no
idea how effective it seemed to have been for some psychotherapists. I
remember one psychologist telling us that one session with a patient on
Ecstasy was equal to four years (of treatment) with a similar patient."

Although practically everyone has heard of Ecstasy, which was made illegal
in 1985, most people aren't familiar with the drug's origins. "Ecstasy
Rising" serves as a fascinating history lesson.

Alexander Shulgin, a famous Dow Chemical chemist, was the first person to
report the effects of Ecstasy when he tested the drug on himself in 1976.
He called the drug "window," because it was "like looking through a window
at the world the way it really is."

The special also spotlights Michael Clegg, the millionaire Dallas drug
dealer who gave Ecstasy its name and turned it into a recreational drug.
Clegg, who spent 14 years studying for the priesthood, was immediately
hooked when he took Ecstasy, gushing that it was like being "Moses on the
mountaintop."

It's comments like Clegg's, however, that nearly undermine Jennings'
well-intentioned special.

At times, "Ecstasy Rising" comes off as a glossy, late-night infomercial.
There are too many happy-faced testimonials from people who have used
Ecstasy and are more than willing to tout its benefits.

One woman remembers taking the drug for the first time at her 19th birthday
party.

"We bonded, shared, gave massages. . . . It was the best birthday I've ever
had."

One recreational user reflects on how popping Ecstasy gave him "2 1/2 hours
of complete and utter rest."

A woman who was raped in 1983 says she was "broken into 1,000 pieces" after
her attack, but Ecstasy saved her life and made her feel whole again.

Those aren't exactly the kind of comments teenagers determined to say no to
drugs need to hear.

Is Jennings concerned that curious young viewers might be more prone to try
Ecstasy after watching his special?

"It can't be a concern," Jennings says. "Our job is to lay out the facts.
Can you imagine a responsible father like myself wanting to do an
infomercial on drugs? I want people to look at this program and be arrested
by it enough and concerned by it enough to really want to have the facts
about one of the most popular drugs in the country."