DERRY COPS TARGET DRUG POPULAR AMONG CHILDREN OF UPPER MIDDLE CLASS

DERRY - Though the popular drug Ecstasy, or "E," has yet to show up in
Derry schools, according to police, the department has handled about 100
cases involving the synthetic drug in the last four years.

"There have been several arrests, but many cases are still open and
pending," said Detective Eric Brown. Other New Hampshire towns such as
Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth are dealing with the drug in much larger
quantities, but it remains a concern in Derry, he said.

"We are doing the best we can to prevent the presence of 'E' in Derry,"
Brown said. "We are trying to seek out and attack the problem."

Ecstasy is a small pill that looks like aspirin, with a scored line down
the center so that it can easily be broken in half. The color of the pill
can vary, as well as the design or emblem printed on the pill. Ecstasy can
also come in a gel or capsule.

One pill of Ecstasy can cost about $18 to $40, and is often sold at raves,
or big parties in larger cities such as Boston. Tips about parties are one
way police find the drug, Brown said.

"They get this touch-feely sense when using 'E,'" Brown said. "That is why
they call it the love drug."

Ecstasy has surpassed cocaine, and is quickly approaching the popularity of
marijuana, Brown said.

"It is used throughout the area by mostly the upper middle class
population," he said, noting users are primarily older teens and adults in
their early 20s.

Ecstasy use in Derry came up at a press conference in May at which Rep.
Phyllis Katsakiores, R-Derry, announced, "Shoulder to Shoulder," an
anti-drug program involving the National Federation of Women Legislators
and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Lt. Vern Thomas spoke of how
Ecstasy is chemically prepared outside of the country and smuggled into
larger cities throughout the nation.

Small laboratories are being established in the United States where drugs
such as Ecstasy are being made, Thomas said, adding it is a growing concern
among law enforcement.

Officer Bob Napoli, who helps organize an anti-drug campaign in the local
school district, said Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug that heightens
emotions by serving as a stimulant and a hallucinogenic.

"Here is looking at you" is a drug education curriculum used in grades 1
through 12 throughout the Derry Cooperative School District and Pinkerton
Academy. Napoli enters the Derry schools and talks to students about the
dangers associated with drugs and Ecstasy each year.

Ecstasy causes a person's body temperature to rise, often resulting in
dehydration. Studies have shown that Ecstasy can cause brain damage if used
frequently, and can sometimes be harmful with just one use, Brown said.

"We have to eliminate the want of the drug and the supplier," he said.
"This drug wouldn't be illegal if it was something that was OK to be
taking. It is unhealthy and can cause not only physical problems, but
impact relationships, families and incomes."

From 1996 to 2000, the number of drug investigations handled by the Derry
Police Department has averaged about 130 cases each year. The most recent
data available was from 2000, when local police investigated about 124 drug
cases.