FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-EMERGENCYNET FEATURE-01/20/92-22:00CST

"ECSTASY" IS BEING IMPORTED FROM EUROPE
By Clark Staten, EMT-P, I/C

Chicago,IL - Police and Emergency Medical Services (EMS )intelligence sources here indicate that a little known drug,
that is being mass produced in the Netherlands and Germany, is starting to show up on the streets of America. The
designer drug, called "Ecstasy", had a brief period of popularity during the late 1970's and early 1980's is again
being taken by young people in the United States.

Recent reports of mass seizures of the drug have taken place in London, England. Police there report a tremendous
resurgence of a drug first developed by German chemists almost one-hundred years ago. The drug was originally
designed to be used as an appetite suppressant. The technical name of the drug is Methylene-dioxymethamphetamine
or "MDMA" for short. When first introduced into the United States, it was commonly called "MDA" or the "Love Drug".

Like many drugs in the amphetamine family, it produces a feeling of euphoria, well being, and awareness in low doses.
It also reduces hunger and increases wakefulness. It has even been used by some psychiatrists to lessen inhibitions and
promote interaction between people. In higher doses, however, it can produce rapid heartbeats, cardiac arrthymias (disturbances), dehydration, fever, exhaustion, decreased clotting factors, and even a state of "paranoid psychosis".

According to anti-drug experts, this change in drug preferences is similar to another that has been recently detected in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere. It involves a shift, particularly by younger abusers, away from
recently popular and expensive drugs like Heroin and Cocaine. Numerous reports are being received that indicate that
today's 15-20 year olds have again begun the use of Hallucinogenic drugs like LSD, Peyote, Psilocybin, Mescaline,
and MDMA.

Inside intelligence sources that the one of the popular forms of these drugs is referred to as "blotter acid", because it
is produced and then put on sheets of absorbent paper. The paper can then be cut or torn into single dose sizes as the
desire for sale or ingestion arises. All of the aforementioned drugs are also available in tablet form, in various colors and sizes. Both city and suburban police have reported several recent overdoses and the seizures of both pills and paper containing multiple doses of the mind-altering drugs.

Interviews with local paramedics, and those from California, indicate that they are seeing an increase in the number of
overdoses involving "bad trips" or patients exhibiting particularly bizarre behaviors after the ingestion of "unknown oral drugs". Many of the signs and symptoms that are being seen would seem related to the use of hallucinogenic type drugs. Preliminary anecdotal evidence suggests that the youngsters had ingested "Love Drugs" or "Acid".

At least one very veteran paramedic indicated that he has recently seen several younger patients ( Ages 14, 16, and
18), who are reminiscent of patients that he treated during the late 1960's and early 1970's, when LSD and other
hallucinogenic drugs were very popular. He also says that witnesses have admitted that some of the victims are "vegged
out" on "MDA" or other hallucinogenic drugs.

According to some authors and pop culture authorities, this shift to "new and better" designer drugs is an attempted return
to the simpler and happier times of the 60's. According to police and medical authorities, however, it signals a proliferation
of a new and more insidious kind of "poison", that is being marketed to our children.

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