Pubdate: Sun, 27 May 2001 Source: Daily News (KY) Copyright: 2001 News Publishing LLC Contact: http://www.bgdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1218 Author: Justin Willis ELUSIVE X Parents Need To Take The Lead In Monitoring Participation In Dance Parties, Drug Experts Say Similar to the goal of treasure hunters, "X" really does mark a valuable uncovering for Warren County's drug investigators. Whenever detectives with Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force find the elusive X, which is one of the street names for the illegal drug ecstasy, they tend to discover other club drugs commonly associated with the subculture, according to task force Director Tommy Loving. In three busts involving ecstasy during the past year, detectives also have located LSD and crystal methamphetamine, Loving said. Typically, drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), which sometimes is used as a date-rape drug, the hallucinogenic animal tranquilizer ketamine and methamphetamine are common vices in the club culture, he said. "When you find ecstasy, you're going to find those other drugs pretty close," Loving said. Ecstasy contains both stimulant and hallucinogenic properties that cause the user to experience an increased sense of alertness, physical sensations and audio and visual signals. Scientific studies indicate that in addition to occasional fatal overdoses of the illegal drug ecstasy, other common drawbacks include confusion, depression, memory problems and paranoia sometimes weeks after initial use. And, although ecstasy is not as widespread as methamphetamine or marijuana, the drug task force is treating it as a serious threat to southcentral Kentucky. "We'd like to get ahead of the curve before it becomes a bigger problem," Loving said. "We're certainly working all our sources on this. What's personally troubling to me is the young group that's a target market for it." Ecstasy tends to target teen-agers as young as 14, an age younger than most who use recreational drugs, and has been blamed for several deaths across the nation, he said. In recent months, investigators have encountered the drug and made several arrests. A party two weeks ago at National Corvette Museum Amphitheater resulted in six ecstasy trafficking arrests. Last month, a naked man found running around Western Place Apartments at 720 Patton Way and accused of destroying $4,500 worth of property told police he was under the influence of ecstasy during his alleged crimes. And in mid-March, two Western Kentucky University students were arrested and subsequently indicted in connection with a suspected ecstasy pipeline from Owensboro to Bowling Green. Those charges still are pending. Still, ecstasy remains popular among the teen-age to mid-20s crowd that characteristically uses the drug at parties, dances, concerts and clubs. And parents, who may hear from their children that they are going to a non-alcohol party, should not feel at ease about the safety of their teens, police said. When parents learn of parties or clubs featuring bands or a deejay, which are billed as alcohol-free and only serve bottled water, they should be suspicious, Loving said. While there are exceptions to every rule, parents should not be naive about non-alcohol parties, he said. "That needs to be a red flag for the parents to take a real hard look at what their children are going to because it could be a rave event," Loving said. "It could be alcohol-free, but it may not be drug-free." A rave typically is a gathering involving music, lights and dancing that continues for several hours. Law enforcement authorities allege a connection between the gatherings and the use of ecstasy, which is taken to further enhance audio-visual stimulation. Ecstasy commonly is used with other drugs, but usually without alcohol, which is believed to diminish its effect, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The drug, known by its scientific name of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), has a stimulant effect that causes a similar euphoria and increased awareness as cocaine and amphetamine. The drug also produces a psychedelic effect, the researchers said. Ecstasy allows the user to dance for an extended time, but when combined with hot, crowded conditions found at raves, can lead to dehydration, hypothermia and heart or kidney failure, Johns Hopkins researchers said. The drug can cause long-term effects on the parts of the brain affecting thought and memory, according to a June 2000 article in The Journal of Neuroscience. In an experiment with red squirrel monkeys, Johns Hopkins researchers demonstrated that four days of exposure to the drug caused damage that persisted six to seven years later. While MDMA can cause compulsive behavior and side effects, the drug is not believed to be addictive, which is different from most of the other recreational drugs that have psychologically or physically addictive properties, according to a 1986 Drug Enforcement Administration hearing on the drug. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth