When a Vacaville teenager overdosed on Ecstasy earlier this year, he left behind a family and friends who struggle to understand how it could have happened. E is for Ecstasy - Some terms commonly associated with the drug. They call it White Buddha, Nike swoosh, Superman, Mitsubishi, white star or Mercedes, but whatever shape, size, color or symbol, the designer drug Ecstasy is the latest craze sweeping Solano County and the nation. Meanwhile, Solano County health officials say they're playing catch-up, trying to understand the elusive phenomenon. Ecstasy's champions say the drug shuttles users to a sensory world rife with pleasure and self-satisfaction.
Lights shine brighter.
Music sounds sweeter. And touch feels more intense. A hybrid of the hallucinogen mescaline and the stimulant amphetamine, some describe the tiny pills as an antidote for teenage angst, a remedy for isolation, confusion and sadness. They contend the most serious dangers facing Ecstasy users can be alleviated by avoiding high-risk situations associated with the drug. Detractors, on the other hand, say Ecstasy sends users on a journey that will inevitably take a deadly turn.