[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 70 (Monday, May 21, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S5262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ECSTASY EXPLOSION

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, in March I held a hearing on the growing 
threat of Ecstasy use in America. For a long time we've been hearing 
that the Ecstasy problem is coming. Well, it's arrived. We heard some 
disturbing news at this hearing. We heard first-hand testimony from two 
former users how this ``feel-good'' drug ruined their lives and almost 
killed them. It's clear to me that this drug is destroying families and 
lives. Ecstasy, like all drug use, is a serious challenge facing our 
country.
  Ecstasy is a synthetic stimulant. It is called a club drug because it 
is most commonly used at parties and all-night dance clubs called 
raves. Its use by youth to enhance the experience of the music and the 
dancing in clubs, has become very popular. Because it is marketed in 
clubs, most users are young, as well as most sellers.
  At the hearing in March, the White House released the latest Pulse 
Check report that outlined the recent trends in Ecstasy use. This 
report confirmed that most users are children and young adults. These 
drugs are clearly targeted at youths. Ecstasy is found primarily in 
pill form and manufacturers put cartoons and flashy corporate logos on 
the pills to make them more appealing.
  Ecstasy use is spreading around the country and is affecting all 
areas. The Pulse Check report shows that both rural and urban areas are 
experiencing an Ecstasy explosion. In fact, 18 of the 20 cities in the 
report labeled Ecstasy as an emerging drug. This isn't the drug of the 
big city anymore, it is now in hometown America.
  As the demand is increasing, the availability of Ecstasy is 
increasing too. The report shows that widespread usage and availability 
increased dramatically over the past year. Ninety percent of all drug 
treatment and law enforcement experts say that Ecstasy is readily 
accessible. If we continue to allow easy access to this drug at clubs 
and in schools, then this problem will just get worse.
  One of the greatest dangers of Ecstasy is how it is used. The report 
stated that Ecstasy is losing its purity and is now commonly 
adulterated with other, even more dangerous drugs, such as heroin and 
amphetamines. Users usually don't know the level of the drug they are 
taking and will overdose easily. And at parties and dances, Ecstasy is 
most often taken with several other drugs, most commonly alcohol, but 
also LSD, marijuana, and cocaine. This deadly cocktail of drugs is 
making ambulances at clubs an all too common sight. These ambulances, 
that are now shuttling more unconscious youth than ever before from 
nightclubs to hospital emergency rooms, are often private ambulances 
that are hired by the nightclubs themselves. They wait outside the 
clubs until someone overdoses from the use of Ecstasy, thus bypasing 
911 and the attention of the police. My outrage with this practice is 
heightened by the low level of care and lack of advanced life support 
that these ambulance crews provide at such dangerous moments. Many 
youth are not safely making it to hospital emergency rooms.
  The situation is becoming an emergency. We need to make it clear to 
today's youth that this drug is very dangerous and that using it 
carries heavy consequences. This drug rips apart families and ruins 
lives at a very young age. Many youth start using this drug before they 
are old enough to fully grasp the results of their actions. We need to 
educate our youth and crack down on sellers to combat the increasing 
availability of this drug. We cannot let this attack on our Nation's 
youth go unchecked.

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