NOTHING TO BE ECSTATIC ABOUT ECSTASY

"THE WORST new drug to hit the streets since heroin" is how the police,
doctors, psychologists and social workers call the substance Ecstasy, the
street name given to thylenedioxyamphetamin or MDMA. The drug, which is
similar to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and Angel Dust used by the
so-called Flower People of the '60s and '70s, is slowly creeping into
every segment of society.

Although its use, rather abuse, is found more commonly among middle class
and upper class parties, rock concerts and what is called as "raves" (large
dance hall sessions), the substance is spotted periodically in high
schools, in malls or in places where a lot of teenagers gather. In reply to
the clamor and request of our readers, we are reprinting useful, basic
information about the drug. Forewarned is forearmed. Let the information
guide you and protect you.

Ecstasy has been known in the pharmaceutical community since its inception
in 1912 by a German company that developed the drug as an appetite
suppressant. In the '70s, it re-emerged as an adjunctive therapy for
mentally-disturbed patients but was soon found to have little benefits.

By the '80s, Ecstasy began to surface in the illicit drug trade, so by
1987, it was completely barred from use.

Ecstasy is distributed in tablet form. Individual tablets are often
in-printed with graphic designs and typically contain 100 mg of MDMA. It is
usually ingested but it can also be crushed and snorted or sniffed, mixed
into a solution and injected or even used as a rectal suppository.

World Health Organization statistics show that in 2000, more than 6.5
million people age 12 and older reported to have used Ecstasy at least once
in their lives. In the US, the vast majority of the drug consumed is
produced in Europe, although law enforcement agencies have already seized
about 20 clandestine Ecstasy laboratories. Manufacturing cost of a table is
about 50 cents but the street value could fetch 40 to 50 US dollars.

The 100 mg tablet produces a sense of euphoria or "high" that lasts for
four to six hours. Stacking or taking many tablets at once or
"piggy-backing," a series of pills over a short period of time, the person
can endure a two to three day nonstop partying without eating or sleeping
and even drinking water.

As a result, the drug leads to severe dehydration and possibly heat stroke
because of the ability of the drug to raise body temperatures to as high as
105 to 117 degrees Fahrenheit, considering that the normal body temperature
is 98-99 degrees F only.

An Ecstasy overdose is characterized by a rapid heart beat, very high blood
pressure, faintness, muscle cramps and also, seizures and loss of
consciousness. A very interesting side effect is tension of the jaw muscle
accompanied by teeth grinding so that wired teenagers high on the drug are
seen dancing to the music, gyrating and flailing their bodies while sucking
on pacifiers to keep them from biting their tongue.

Long-term after effects of Ecstasy include anxiety, paranoia and depression
which have been attributed to a significant decrease of serotonin, a
chemical used in learning, sleep and integration of emotional responses.

Ecstasy has the so-called snob appeal. Touted as the "rich man's shabu" or
the "classic shabu," teenagers are attracted to its supposed glamour and
glitz as a love drug or a hug-drug.

To address this, Dr. Phillippe Cunningham of University of South Carolina
tells parents to be the first line of defense in guiding their children
away from drugs. It is better for parents to err on the side of being too
concerned rather than not being concerned enough. After all, there is
nothing to be ecstatic about Ecstasy.