Pubdate: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 Source: Quad-City Times (IA) Copyright: 2004 Quad-City Times Contact: http://www.qctimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/857 Author: Deirdre Cox Baker Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) SPEAKER REVEALS THE AGONY OF ECSTASY Lynn Smith says she hopes that spreading the word about ecstasy use, will prevent people from going down the same road she did and save lives. The 26-year-old native of Danville, Pa., who survived continued use of the so-called "party" drug known as Ecstasy, spoke Tuesday night at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, urging students to spread the word about the hazards of such narcotics. Smith said her childhood and teen years in an east-central Pennsylvania town of 5,000 residents did not include a solid education about drug abuse. "If I'd seen more bad press," she said, "if I'd seen more images of people like me who abused drugs ... "Now I see life as precious, powerful," she said, adding that drug abuse education is not consistent across America. Parents often think their children will know better than to abuse drugs, but the vibrant Smith said attributes such as being pretty or intelligent do not prevent teens from making poor decisions. In high school, Smith was pretty, popular and a straight-A student. But she was not prepared for the party scene in New York City, where she went at age 19 to pursue an acting career. She said the synthetic stimulant Ecstasy is a very attractive drug. It is about the size of an Advil and generally has cute pictures on it such as a "smiley" face, the Snoopy character or the trademark from a popular line of apparel. "It's a friendly-looking drug," she said, noting it does not have to be shot into a vein or smoked like some other narcotics. "It seems happy, harmless." But it took just five months for her to change from being a serious acting student to a person who rarely ate or slept. A night of repeated hallucinations caused Smith's mother to have her admitted her to a psychiatric hospital. A medical scan showed the young woman had brain damage. Since leaving the hospital, she has dedicated herself to public education about the dangers of drug use. She has appeared on "Oprah," MTV's "True Life" and is a featured volunteer for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. "I don't jump on a pulpit, but I've been through it and I'm here to say, 'This is what happens,' " she said. Smith recommends the Web site www.drugfreeamerica.org as a resource for parents or others concerned about drug abuse. Her appearance at St. Ambrose was sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and the Student Government Association. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin