DoD Attacks Ecstasy Drug Use

 

 By Gerry J. Gilmore
 
American Forces Press Service


 WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2000 -- What drug comes in tablets, makes 
 "painful" realities go away and is popular among hedonistic 
 young people today -- including some service members?
 
 The answer is an illegal "designer" drug called Ecstasy, also 
 known as "Adam," "XTC," "Clarity" and "Essence," among other 
 street names. Its use by service members increased markedly in 
 fiscal 1999, and that's a concern to the Department of Defense," 
 said Army Col. Mick Smith, science and testing officer of DoD's 
 Office of the Coordinator for Drug Enforcement Policy and 
 Support.
 
 DoD has tracked Ecstasy and service members' use since the early 
 1990s. "Our primary concern was that this was a popular drug in 
 Europe, and we had service members stationed there," Smith said. 
 DoD mandated servicewide random testing for Ecstasy in 1997. 
 "Ecstasy use is still not as prevalent as use of marijuana or 
 cocaine."
 
 Ecstasy is the common name for 3, 4-
 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a synthetic, psychoactive drug. 
 It has no medical value and cannot be prescribed legally, Smith 
 said. The drug is mostly manufactured in secret labs in the 
 Netherlands and Belgium, with worldwide distribution arranged by 
 organized crime. Most people who use Ecstasy range in age from 
 14 to 25, with 18 being the most common age, he said. 
 
 When ingested, Ecstasy is quickly absorbed into the user's 
 bloodstream, Smith said. It goes to the brain and causes a 
 massive release of a natural chemical called serotonin.
 
 "Serotonin is a chemical that makes us feel good, so the Ecstasy 
 user feels euphoria and a heightening of his or her senses," he 
 said. "The user will also experience increased heart rate, 
 increased energy level and may hallucinate." One "hit" of 
 Ecstasy, which can cost up to $30, may last four to six hours, 
 he added.
 
 However, Ecstasy has a dark downside not readily apparent to the 
 "invincible" young people who use it.
 
 "Recent scientific evidence has shown that even small amounts of 
 Ecstasy damage the nerve cells that produce serotonin and cause 
 permanent brain damage," Smith said. "Users become depressed and 
 suffer from memory loss. Some chronic users become permanently 
 depressed."
 
 Smith notes that Ecstasy has been popular since the late 1980s 
 among young people overseas, particularly in Europe. The drug 
 has become a signature of youthful crowds that dance all night 
 in packed, overheated clubs called "raves." The drug has crossed 
 the Atlantic in force: U.S. hospitals participating in the Drug 
 Abuse Warning Network reported that Ecstasy-related emergency 
 room incidents increased nationwide from 250 in 1994, to 637 in 
 1997, to 1,142 in 1998.
 
 Ecstasy abuse can be dangerous. "Users taking too much Ecstasy 
 may become dehydrated, have elevated temperature, have a drop in 
 blood pressure, have a seizure, and die," Smith said. "There 
 have been numerous reports of young people dying after Ecstasy 
 use."
 
 Each 300 milligram Ecstasy tablet contains about 75 to 150 
 milligrams of the drug, often mixed with other chemicals, Smith 
 said. The tablets may be branded with logos such as butterflies, 
 lightning bolts, zodiac signs, stars and clovers. 
 
 The president's Office of National Drug Control Policy reports 
 that most Ecstasy comes from Europe, but noted recently that the 
 Drug Enforcement Administration seized five clandestine Ecstasy 
 labs in the United States in early 1999. 
 
 The U.S. military takes service members' drug abuse seriously. 
 It uses education and deterrence -- most notably in the form of 
 random urinalyses testing -- to reduce drug demand within its 
 ranks, Smith said. These efforts continue to be successful, he 
 said, pointing to the relatively low number of service members 
 who are testing positive for illegal drug use.
 
 DoD conducted 2,273,998 urinalyses in fiscal 1999, according to 
 Smith. Marijuana positives were 12,006, cocaine positives were 
 2,839, methamphetamine positives were 807, Ecstasy positives 
 were 432, and lysergic acid diethylamide -- LSD -- positives 
 were 325.
 
 Additionally, the Defense Department has worked for three years 
 to develop a better drug test, Smith said.
 
 "Next year, DoD will implement a better screening process in its 
 random drug testing program that will be more sensitive and 
 identify more Ecstasy users," he said. "DoD has also been 
 working with law enforcement officials to track and identify 
 sources of supply and regions where Ecstasy use is most 
 prevalent. The largest recent increase in use has been in the 
 Northeast."
 
 Using Ecstasy violates Article 112-A of the Uniform Code of 
 Military Justice, Smith said. The article outlaws the knowing 
 use of any illegal drug in the military. Drug users are subject 
 to punitive discharges, prison or both.
 
 "Many drug users believe that they will not get caught, but when 
 they do get caught in a random drug test, the consequences are 
 harsh," he concluded.
 
 

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