Fighting Back: Part 5a

ECSTASY, METH USE RAPIDLY RISING

'Club Drugs' Named Among Most Dangerous

Ecstasy and methamphetamine are the most dangerous drugs readily available
on South Mississippi streets, law enforcement officers say.

Police are especially concerned about the dangers of methamphetamine, which
appears to be in high demand. Meth-lab discoveries have doubled statewide
in the past year.

Unlike prescription drugs, which are made in controlled environments and
dispensed with directions and precautions, meth is made by self-proclaimed
chemists, some of whom have found recipes for the illegal narcotic on the
Internet. Some of the ingredients, such as as drain cleaner and anhydrous
ammonia, are toxic.

"Users have no way of knowing if their next fix will be deadly," said Randy
Johnson, an agent with the state Bureau of Narcotics. Several people have
died of drug overdoses this year, though authorities say meth was not
involved in those deaths.

Meth manufacturing is the reason that some South Mississippi stores, such
as the Wal-Mart Supercenter on U.S. 49 in Gulfport, have taken
pseudoephedrine, an over-the-counter cold medicine, off shelves, making it
available only through pharmacies.

In Jackson County, signs posted at retail stores by the District Attorney's
Office warn shoppers that authorities are keeping an eye on people who make
large purchases of ingredients used to make meth, including items such as
lithium batteries, camp fuel, coffee filters and denatured alcohol.

Ecstasy, a "club drug," has gained increased attention statewide since
April 2001, when a 17-year-old girl died of an ecstasy overdose in Corinth.

Ecstasy is showing up in occasional drug arrests and in raids at late-night
parties known as raves, which are common in New Orleans.

South Mississippi teens travel to New Orleans to attend those parties,
which they learn about on the Internet, through flyers or by word of mouth.
Authorities believe raves also may be occurring in South Mississippi, but
few have been reported.

The influx of date-rape drugs also is a concern. These drugs are colorless
and tasteless, and can easily be put in an unsuspecting victim's drink.
Because of the drug's side effects, victims often don't realize they've
been sexually assaulted until eight to 12 hours later.

Federal drug agents recently confiscated 25 million doses of GHB and other
date-rape drugs in a nationwide sweep that included arrests in Mobile.
Agents also closed down an Internet site used for selling these illegal drugs.