Pubdate: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 Source: Peoria Journal Star (IL) Copyright: 2003sPeoria Journal Star Contact: http://pjstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/338 Author: Adriana Colindres, Copley News Service Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) GOVERNOR HAS PLAN TO COMBAT ECSTASY Seized Assets Of Drug Dealers To Fund State's "Project X" SPRINGFIELD - The illegal drug ecstasy is becoming increasingly popular in Illinois, especially among young people, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to reverse that trend before it "rages out of control," a spokeswoman said Monday. In his State of the State address Wednesday, the governor will call upon lawmakers to establish "Project X," a $2 million initiative, spokeswoman Cheryle Jackson said. The main goals are to adopt a more aggressive approach toward ecstasy dealers and to reduce demand for the so-called club drug. The Illinois State Police and Department of Human Services would oversee the program. Most or all of the funding for Project X would come from the sale of cars, property and other assets that state police seize from drug dealers, Jackson said. That would make the initiative "budget neutral," she added. Project X, which is part of Blagojevich's crime agenda, would consist of three components. The first involves increased funding and staffing for the Chicago-based "club drugs task force," which is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement officials. The task force now gets $400,000 in funding from the federal government. One state trooper works full time with the task force, Jackson said. She said Blagojevich wants Illinois to invest $800,000 more, with the money coming from drug dealers' seized assets, and he wants to boost the number of state police working on the task force. A statewide repository would be created to keep track of ecstasy-related information, she said. Another component of Project X would focus on college campuses, with state police conducting undercover operations that target traffickers of ecstasy and other club drugs, Jackson said. The third piece of Project X is a statewide awareness campaign that aims to warn parents and youths about the dangers of using club drugs, Jackson said. Abuse of ecstasy is "a problem that's gettable," she added. "If we wait, we'll be in the same situation that we're in with other drug-related problems." Jackson said statistics show that ecstasy abuse has risen nationwide by 71 percent since 1999. That trend has affected communities across Illinois and college campuses in particular, she said. A state law that took effect last year was inspired by the ecstasy-related death of a former Peoria and Springfield woman who died in 1999 in New Jersey. That measure, known as "Kelley's Law" toughened penalties against people convicted of selling ecstasy. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth