ECSTASY, SPEED SIMILAR DRUGS

ALBANY -- Drug abusers probably wouldn't have been able to tell the
difference between the Ecstasy they thought they were getting and
methamphetamine sold to them.

"They are both stimulant-type drugs," said Timothy Lesar, director of the
pharmacy at Albany Medical Center. "At low doses, they would have the same
effects. People might have never taken Ecstasy before. They would just
think this is what Ecstasy feels like."

He said methamphetamine is a more potent drug that often produces a more
jittery high than Ecstasy. Lesar holds a doctorate in pharmacy.

He said it was once believed that Ecstasy wasn't as harmful as
methamphetamine, also known as speed.

"We're finding out that's not true as the doses get higher and people have
been using for longer periods of time," Lesar said.

Both drugs can cause psychosis, dangerous overheating and heart problems,
Lesar said.