ECSTASY ARTICLE MAKES BIG DEAL OUT OF LESS-POPULAR DRUG

The media attention given to the drug Ecstasy is nothing new to
Gainesville. When one of us transferred to UF in 1999 from Miami, the
controversy over Ecstasy - more specifically, MDMA - was in full
swing in this college town.

The rave scene that had sprung up in the mid to late '90s, centering
around a notorious club named Simon's, brought night-crawling raver
youths to Gainesville in droves. But this scene dissolved due to new
legislation that shifted bar and club closing times to 2 a.m.

Since the demise of the rave scene, the popularity of its hallmark
drug has seen a similar fate, and nationwide statistics suggest this
pattern. According to the most recent results of Monitoring the
Future, an annual survey of American youth and young adults, the use
of Ecstasy is at a low. While reading the front-page article in
Tuesday's Alligator, there was something alarming about the statement
by Lt. Bart Knowles, the Gainesville Police Department's narcotics commander.

It is simply impossible, given all the data available at the local,
state, and federal levels, that Ecstasy possession, use or
"popularity" is remotely "tied with marijuana" or is a leading drug
problem in the community. A review of GPD's seizures in its annual
report and a glance at the arrest records, disaggregated to reflect
UF students alone from 2003 to 2006, reveals a scenario similar to
that given by Captain Jeff Holcomb of the University Police
Department - Gainesville's X usage is minimal.

But the Florida rave scene, while less popular than in the '90s, is
still alive and well. Festivals like the Miami Ultra Music Festival
attract open-air drug markets, similar to those found at Burning Man
and Bonnaroo. Though the size and following of the rave culture has
significantly diminished since its heyday, raves in Florida's major
cities can still be found on the Internet. While the drugs of choice
may shift given local trends, research suggests marijuana is still by
far the most prevalent drug across these music scenes.

It's possible students leave Gainesville to attend these festivals
and consume drugs such as Ecstasy. But no discernible evidence
suggests Ecstasy is the hottest "new" craze exploding right before our eyes.

While riveting, the description of Ecstasy use in articles published
in Tuesday's paper seem to glamorize the drug to the point where it
will attract use even in spite of possible consequences. This is,
after all, what occurred after the government responded to Ecstasy
use back in the '80s - its recreational use skyrocketed. What needs
to be published is some common sense.

Instead, we should concentrate on the concrete problems our local
community faces. A hint should come from the article located right
above "X 'blows up' in G'ville": an honored veteran police officer's
death was influenced by the drug that has shadowed all others in this
town - alcohol.

Dave Khey and Bryan Miller are UF graduate students.