ECSTASY USE ON THE RISE

'Subtle' Effects And Warning Signs Of Drug Use Add To The Popular Club
Drug's Dangers, Police Say.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- People who use the popular club-scene drug
Ecstasy say they like its subtlety -- its mild hallucinogenic
properties don't leave users falling-down drunk, police say.

But that same subtlety poses a danger. To the uneducated, Ecstasy's
harm -- potential brain damage as repeated use depletes seratonin
levels -- is well-concealed, and many parents don't know what the
danger signs are, Glendale Police Det. Tim Feeley said.

Feeley spoke to members of the Glendale Healthier Community Coalition
Thursday morning. The vice"narcotics detective will be speaking to
various parent groups in the coming months to get the word out that
Ecstasy and other club drugs are a burgeoning problem. It's a
different world than today's parents grew up in, going to concerts to
listen to music and seeing people smoking pot in the crowd, Feeley
said. The youths of today who frequent raves use music to enhance the
drug experience, not vice versa.

Of the so-called club drugs -- mainly Ecstasy, GHB and Ketamine --
Ecstasy is the most prevalent, second only in popularity to marijuana,
Feeley said. It's estimated that 12% of the nation's youths have tried
it, and its use has increased 71% over the past few years. In the past
five years, Ecstasy arrests have jumped.

Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, "X" and by any number of names referring
to the shape or color of the pills, is often targeted at kids, he
said. The pills vary in shape and design and follow today's trends,
stamped with anything from Nike swooshes to Teletubbies and Izod logos.

Raves, too, can be deceiving. They're legitimized by their locations
(often large concert facilities), their promoters (tickets are sold by
Ticketmaster and at local music shops) and their no-alcohol
provisions, Feeley said.

The raves aren't happening in Glendale, but Glendale children are the
ones who help provide the customer base, Feeley said.

"The problem with these drugs is, as adults, we're not expecting
them," Feeley said. "The users are not the typical users. We expect
the user to be someone that's out on the street.

"Become educated, don't just [tell children to] say no," Feeley
advised. "Think of them more as a peer than a child."