Pubdate: Fri, 20 Jul 2001
Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2001 The Miami Herald
Contact:  http://www.herald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/262
Author: Frank Davies
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)

SENATORS SEEK RESEARCH INTO 'CLUB DRUG'

WASHINGTON -- With more young people using the drug dubbed "ecstacy" in 
South Florida and nationwide, Sen. Bob Graham, Florida Democrat, is pushing 
for more federal funds for medical research and educational campaigns.

Graham introduced a bill today that would allocate more than $30 million to 
address a drug problem that has caught some scientists, police and 
anti-narcotics activists by surprise -- the rise of so-called "club" drugs.

Emergency-room visits by users of the drug, which is often consumed at 
"raves" and other parties in pill form, rose from 253 to 2,850 in the last 
five years, according to a recent hospital survey. A University of Michigan 
survey of drug use found that 10 percent of high school seniors had tried 
the drug.

"The explosion of club drugs has reached epidemic proportions around the 
country," said Sen. Hillary Clinton, New York Democrat, who noted that New 
York City police in a raid Tuesday confiscated 1 million pills worth at 
least $20 million.

Graham's bill is cosponsored by Clinton; Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.; Richard 
Durbin, D-Ill.; Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.; and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.
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