Pubdate: Mon, 10 Jul 2000
Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)
Copyright: 2000, The Columbus Dispatch
Contact:  34 S. Third St., Columbus, OH 43215
Website: http://www.dispatch.com/
Author: Peter D. Rogers, MD
Note: Dr. Peter D. Rogers, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital, is a
member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Substance
Abuse and the Section on Adolescent Health.

ECSTASY BRINGS MUCH AGONY TO CENTRAL OHIO

Young people are abusing an alarming array of drugs, but one seems to
be reaching epidemic proportions -- and with devastating effects.
So-called Ecstasy, which comes in at least three forms, has been
implicated nationally in the sexual assaults of approximately 5,000
teen-age and young adult women. The drug also has caused 49 deaths.

As a pediatrician, I have seen the destructive effects of this drug. I
have a patient who is 16, white and middle-class. She is not a drug
addict. She is what I would call your average American kid. I treated
her after she took Ecstasy and was raped twice. She told me that she
remembers the rapes but, high on the drug, was powerless to stop them.
She couldn't even scream, let alone fight back.

Although Ecstasy has been in decline since its use first was measured
in 1996, its use among older teens is spiking. Nearly 6 percent of
high-school seniors and more than 4 percent of sophomores used some
form of the drug in 1999, according to a University of Michigan study.

The upsurge is such a concern that the federal government, through the
National Institute of Drug Abuse, has set aside $54 million for
research to combat Ecstasy and other "club drugs'' -- so named because
of their use at all-night dance parties, known as "raves,'' and at
clubs where teens party.

The forms of Ecstasy include:

GHB, also called liquid Ecstasy, is a date-rape drug that is tasteless
and undetectable when mixed wit soda or other beverages. GHB is a
potent sedative and, when taken with alcohol, its effects are even
more dangerous. Do not think that the people your child hangs out with
can't get their hands on GHB; kits to make it can be bought for $49.95.

MDMA, or chemical Ecstasy, is a potent psychostimulant. Users get
increased energy and, thus, can dance for long periods, often with a
disordered perception of reality. MDMA combined with the environment
of a hot, noisy party with continued dancing and inadequate fluid
intake can lead to seizures and death. MDMA comes in pills or
capsules, which sell for about $25 each. The effect of a single dose
can last four to six hours.

Herbal Ecstasy, also known as ma huang or ephedra, is advertised boldy
in such publications as High Times magazine. Ma huang is also found in
some nutritional supplements. Ma huang has been associated with severe
hypertension, which can lead to seizures and strokes.

The danger of these drugs is compounded by the fact that they are
often made by amateur chemists and drug traffickers, who may include
ingredients that complicate medical consequences. And, they often come
accompanied by "companion'' drugs, such as ketamine, also called
Special K. It is an anesthetic that has been approved since 1980 for
medical use in humans and animals. About 90 percent of it is sold
legally for veterinary use. But the drug for pets is being snorted,
smoked and sometimes injected by young people seeking to enhance their
highs from Ecstasy.

In reaction to all this, Congress approved the Hillory J. Farias and
Samantha Reid Date Rape Drug Prohibition Act of 2000, which is
awaiting President Clinton's signature. The bill, named for two teen-
agers who died after being given GHB, orders the Justice Department to
list GHB within the Schedule I Category of Dangerous Drugs. That list
includes heroin, marijuana, LSD and methaqualone. When this drug is
added to the list, those convicted of producing or selling GHB can be
punished with appropriately severe penalties.

But what can parents and other caring adults do? How could we have
protected children, such as my 16-year-old patient, who could not
protect herself from being raped? The answer is education. We must
learn about the ever-growing repertoire of drug dealers so that we, in
turn, can teach our children about their dangers.

In addition, experience shows that kids who have a positive self-image
generally stay away from drugs. These are kids who are committed to
academics, sports, theater, religious and other positive activities.
Commitment to such activities helps children respect themselves, their
bodies and their individual worth. They comprehend that they are something
to be cherished and protected and not to be put at risk by drugs such as
Ecstasy.

Dr. Peter D. Rogers, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital, is a
member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Substance
Abuse and the Section on Adolescent Health.
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