Pubdate: Fri, 26 May 2000 Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL) Copyright: 2000 Orlando Sentinel Contact: 633 N.Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 Fax: (407) 420-5286 Website: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ Forum: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/interact/messageboards/ Author: Jim Hall, Executive director-Up Front Drug Information Center Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n675/a02.html A CRISIS DENIED DEATHS, DRUG-overdose medical emergencies, addiction, rape and impaired driving are daily reminders that problems associated with the so-called "rave and club street drugs" are entrenched across Florida and sweeping the globe. Just in the past week, two new chemicals have been added to the lists of potentially deadly drugs sold and abused in these settings. Both PMA (paramethoxy-amphetamine) and 4-MTA (4-methylamphetamine) have been sold as "XTC" and have caused deaths in the United States and Europe among ravers and club drugies. They were seeking "flatliners" and "double-stack mitsubishis." What they got were funerals. I regret the focus of my lengthy interview was not the focus of the article in which I was quoted. Although it is important to get a better grasp of the nature and extent of the harm caused by these drugs, our thanks should go to Gov. Jeb Bush and Director Jim McDonough for their international leadership in identifying and addressing this contemporary drug crisis denied too long by too many. Florida is at the forefront of the rave-drug and drug-rape problems. Thanks to their leadership, Florida has been among the first to identify these public-health emergencies and, more important, among the first to do something about it. That's the front-page story. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck