To others, it is an addictive killer that must be stopped. But its popularity today extends beyond the underground dance scene. A recent report by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found ecstasy use has doubled among teens since 1995 and one in 10 teens has experimented with the drug. Add your post to the 48 Hours bulletin boards. Enthusiasts of the drug say ecstasy replaces anxiety with pleasure, that it acts like an anti-depressant.
Adversaries believe, however, the drug is addictive and can cause brain damage.
It also reports on how the federal government views the problem as states toughen laws against dealing ecstasy. But at age 14, she tried ecstasy, assuming it was harmless fun. She tells Correspondent Peter Van Sant how ecstasy became her gateway drug to heroin and cocaine. After his death, she wants to use the drug again to find closure to their relationship. Shari Rich was on an academic scholarship in central Florida, but when she took a pill she thought was ecstasy, her body temperature soared and she died.