Pubdate: Mon, 05 Jun 2000
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Copyright: 2000 Chicago Tribune Company
Contact:  435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611-4066
Website: http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Forum: http://www.chicagotribune.com/interact/boards/
Author: David Hutchinson

DRUG STORIES

CHICAGO -- I have been dismayed and angered over your coverage of the
drug Ecstasy. Although some articles mention the serious dangers
associated with the drug, some do not, and one (Page 1, May 22) even
implied that Ecstasy is not a "hard drug."

Although the psychological effects that the user feels are mild, the
damage is not. Ecstasy is the only drug shown to cause permanent
physical damage to brain cells at doses commonly used. Even after 20
uses of Ecstasy, a fair percentage of users are left with clinical
depression, which does not respond to anti-depressants or talk
therapy. Furthermore, people with manic depression and certain forms
of unipolar depression are likely to have a severely unpleasant
psychotic episode, which can last for up to a month.

It was noted that the pills that killed a teenager in the Chicago
suburbs were not Ecstasy (MDMA) but PMA, an even more toxic substance.
The way to identify the more dangerous pills is that they are stamped
with the Mitsubishi logo.

One of these pills was used on May 28 as a photo of what Ecstasy pills
look like, with no mention whatsoever that just one of these pills had
put two teens in the hospital a week prior. 

David Hutchinson
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