Indiana State Police drug analysts logged in 215 Ecstasy doses in 2000, all of which were taken from street-level busts and undercover stings. So far this year, State Police have analyzed 34 samples of Ecstasy. The white crystalline powder comes in either pill or capsule form, which can be swallowed or snorted to produce a euphoric high. The pill generally is the size of an Altoid mint, and it usually is stamped with a picture of a dove, hearts or even a Nike-like swoosh symbol. Nick Sahaidachny, who coordinates addiction counseling at Valle Vista Hospital in Greenwood, said 80 percent of the adolescents he sees have experimented with Ecstasy.
Users talk about a rush that lasts longer than cocaine.
But in their altered sense of perception, some users become paranoid, unable to sleep for days because flashbacks of bright lights and loud noise recur. Helen Gardner typically sees 50 to 60 clients at month at St. Francis Hospital's Behavioral Health Services in Beech Grove. Half of those clients are under 30, an age group in which Ecstasy use is increasing. The clients range from college students to construction workers. They've been using marijuana and drinking.