Bad Science Drives Drug War Hysteria PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE DrugSense FOCUS Alert #275 September 7, 2003 As shown in the Washington Post article, below, scientists at Johns Hopkins University made an unbelievable mistake in trying to find evidence to support their theory that MDMA, popularly called ecstasy, is a very dangerous drug. You can read the original study as published in Science magazine, and now being retracted, here: http://mdma.net/toxicity/ricaurte.html But this isn't even the first time scientist George Ricaurte has found evidence to damn ecstasy. Ricaurte's classic paper on MDMA claiming massive serotonin reductions in ecstasy users which was published in 1998 in The Lancet was then used by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as the basis of educational efforts against MDMA. Later and larger studies have failed to confirm the results, and even NIDA no longer references the study. Just errors, research with an agenda, or junk science? But the retraction by Science magazine did not come about without considerable concern being expressed first. Please see the work of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) http://www.maps.org/research/mdma/studyresponse.html Junk science and errors in research are quickly spread by the media, quoted by government officials, and used to create the drug war hysteria that supported the RAVE Act. Now your elected federal representatives wish to expand on the frenzy with the VICTORY, Ecstasy Awareness and CLEAN-UP Methamphetamine Acts. And the hysteria extends to state and local lawmakers. Harm reduction efforts like those of DanceSafe http://www.dancesafe.org/ are undermined. And finally, as the sample letter indicates below, when false information about drugs is spread, users figure it out. They then tend not to believe anything that is said. Thus there are plenty of reasons to respond to this story with your Letters to the Editor. Please do! Thanks for your effort and support. It's not what others do it's what YOU do PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter, email messages, etc.) Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent letter list () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to if you are not subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit. This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness. Subscribing to the Sent LTE list () will help you to review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing efforts. To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form TARGETS: Versions on this story have appeared in many newspapers. Here is a partial list of the newspapers, along with links to the articles. At the links you will find the contact information for each article, set up so that with one click you can start writing your letter to that newspaper. Please send your letters one at a time, addressed to that newspaper, and modified for it. Newspapers expect that the letter you send is exclusive for them. If they think that you are sending the same letter to multiple newspapers, they will not use it. Arizona Republic (AZ) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1343.a05.html Baltimore Sun (MD) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1341.a09.html Charlotte Observer (NC) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1342.a03.html Dallas Morning News (TX) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1338.a11.html * Detroit News (MI) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1343.a07.html * Duluth News-Tribune (MN) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1341.a10.html Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1343.a04.html * Globe and Mail (Canada) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1338.a04.html * Grand Forks Herald (ND) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1341.a11.html * Honolulu Advertiser (HI) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1343.a11.html * Ledger-Enquirer (GA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1343.a08.html * Macon Telegraph (GA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1341.a08.html New York Times (NY) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1336.a01.html * Newsday (NY) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1342.a04.html * Oakland Tribune, The (CA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1344.a06.html Observer, The (UK) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1344.a02.html * Oklahoman, The (OK) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1342.a02.html * Plain Dealer, The (OH) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1342.a01.html San Jose Mercury News (CA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1343.a06.html * San Mateo County Times, The (CA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1344.a04.html * Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1344.a05.html * Tampa Tribune (FL) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1340.a11.html * Tri-Valley Herald (CA) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1344.a03.html Washington Post (DC) [below] http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1341.a07.html Watertown Daily Times (NY) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1342.a11.html * Wichita Eagle (KS) http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1343.a03.html * indicates that the story was from the Associated Press wire service. Versions and titles may vary. This news undoubtedly appeared in many other newspapers. Besides the above, more may be posted at the following URL. And, in time, we hope to see your published letters listed at the link, also: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm ORIGINAL ARTICLE Pubdate: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 Source: Washington Post (DC) Page: A03 Copyright: 2003 The Washington Post Company Contact: Author: Rick Weiss, Washington Post Staff Writer RESULTS RETRACTED ON ECSTASY STUDY Scientists at Johns Hopkins University who last year published a frightening and controversial report suggesting that a single evening's use of the illicit drug ecstasy could cause permanent brain damage and Parkinson's disease are retracting their research in its entirety, saying the drug they used in their experiments was not ecstasy after all. The retraction, to be published in next Friday's issue of the journal Science, has reignited a smoldering and sometimes angry debate over the risks and benefits of the drug, also known as MDMA. The drug is popular at all-night raves and other venues for its ability to reduce inhibitions and induce expansive feelings of open-heartedness. But some studies have indicated that the drug can at least temporarily damage neurons that use the mood-altering brain chemical serotonin. Some users also have spiked fevers, which rarely have proven fatal. Last year's research, involving monkeys and baboons, purported to show that three modest doses of ecstasy - the amount a person might take in a one-night rave-- could cause serious damage to another part of the brain: neurons that use the brain chemical dopamine. Two of 10 animals died quickly after their second or third dose of the drug, and two others were too sick to take the third dose. Six weeks later, dopamine levels in the surviving animals were still down 65 percent. That led Hopkins team leader George Ricaurte and his colleagues to conclude that users were playing Russian roulette with their brains. Advocates of ecstasy's therapeutic potential, including a number of scientists and doctors who believe it may be useful in treating post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychiatric conditions, criticized the study. They noted that the drug was given in higher doses than people commonly take and was administered by injection, not by mouth. They wondered why large numbers of users were not dying or growing deathly ill from the drug, as the animals did, and why no previous link had been made between ecstasy and Parkinson's despite decades of use and a large number of studies. The answer to at least some of those questions became clear with the retraction, which is being released by Science on Sunday evening but was obtained independently by The Washington Post. Because of a mislabeling of vials, the scientists wrote, all but one of the animals were injected not with ecstasy but with methamphetamine, or "speed" -- a drug known to damage the dopamine system. The researchers said they discovered the mistake when follow-up tests gave conflicting results, and they offered evidence that the tubes were mislabeled by the supplier, identified by sources as Research Triangle Institute of North Carolina. A spokesman for the company said last night that he did not know whether the company had erred. The error has renewed charges that government-funded scientists, and Ricaurte in particular, have been biased in their assessment of ecstasy's risks and potential benefits. Rick Doblin, president of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a Sarasota, Fla.-based group that funds studies on therapeutic uses of mind-altering drugs and is seeking permission to conduct human tests of MDMA, said the evidence of serotonin system damage is weak. "The largest and best-controlled study of the effect of MDMA on serotonin showed no long-term effects in former users and minimal to no effects in current users," he said. Una McCann, one of the Hopkins scientists, said she regretted the role the false results may have played in a debate going on last year in Congress and within the Drug Enforcement Administration over how to deal with ecstasy abuse. "I feel personally terrible," she said. "You spend a lot of time trying to get things right, not only for the congressional record but for other scientists around the country who are basing new hypotheses on your work and are writing grant proposals to study this." But she and Ricaurte emphasized last night that the retraction had not changed their feelings about the danger of taking ecstasy. "I still wouldn't recommend it to anybody," McCann said. SAMPLE LETTER Dear Editors, Dr. Ricaurte's motives behind initially publishing this study suggesting that a common dose of ecstasy might cause brain damage and Dr. Leshner's motives in promoting the study must be seriously questioned. They ignored other studies with humans showing no brain damage and anecdotal evidence and health data from millions of ecstasy users over 20 years that have not revealed the magnitude of risk suggested by Dr. Ricaurte's studies. This irresponsible bias on the part of politicians and NIDA funded scientists undermines efforts to educate young people and adults about the real risks associated with drug use. It is easily seen for what it is, dishonest scare tactics, which causes a loss of trust in authorities. It also puts drug users at greater risk by depriving them of honest information that enables informed choices that may reduce the potential harms associated with drug use. Andrew Tatarsky, Ph.D. Harm Reduction Psychotherapy and Training Associates Please note: This is a sample letter only, already sent to one of the large target newspapers. Your own letters to editors should be substantially different. ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See: Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/ TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS: Please utilize the following URLs http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm http://www.drugsense.org/unsub.htm We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter writing activists. Prepared by: Richard Lake = Please help us help reform. Send drug-related news to

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