THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY FOCUS October 10, 2000 PAGE 17 Ecstasy: Happiness Pill or Just Another Way to Mess Up Your Mind?

LEANNE CURTIN ical. Retriever Weekly Editorial Staff This is exactly where tlie drug is sus­ pected to do the most damage. Forcefully Ecstasy, or "E", as it is nicknamed, is a changing serotonin levels can be risky, more designer drug that has gained incredible pop­ so than what Prozac does, because Prozac ularity in the past few ·years, first in Europe, just prevents the serotonin that's already now in America. Pure ecstasy pills are made been naturally released from going back into of the chemical compound methylene­ the ceils. When serotonin is pushed out by E, dioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA. It basi­ it resculpts the brain cells. Taken enough, the cally produces a feeling of happiness and shape change could be permanent, which Valery Viner I Retriever Weekly Staff euphoria for four to six hours, which could be would lower your natural serotonin level, Friendly Reminder: Alcohol-related statistics greet UMBC students daily on why it is also so popular on the rave scene. causing more bad moods and depression. Wilkins Avenue. In 1914 Germany first issued a patent Normally, serotonin levels are carefully for E to the company E. Merck. Despite maintained, not only because it controls popular belief, it was not supposed to be a mood, but it also controls body tempera­ Crime and Justice diet drug. Chemists who invented it just ture. Overheating and dehydration are the thought it could be a promising intermedi­ most common problems inexperienced ary substance that might help to develop users face when they take E. The effect is Continues at UMBC more advanced therapeutic drugs. There is compounded when you are taking several no evidence that any living creature at the pills during one night and dancing. Dozens from BUST, page 16 time took it - not employees and not Nazi of users have actually died from this around whether that incident has been linked to the soldiers, another common myth. the world, because E can raise a body tem­ vomiting as he exited the room. The police activities in room 225. Vandalism is anoth­ Until 1953 the drug all but disappeared, perature to 43 degrees higher than normal. report stated the subject was believed to be er violation of the code of student conduct. when the U.S. Army funded a secret animal At this level, blood starts to coagulate, Jason L. Johnson, a non-resident student. Campus police have no record of any inci­ study of eight drugs at the University of which is not good for anyone. Campus Police and Residential Life have dents occurrin~ in the Erickson Residential Michigan, including MDMA. They were Some of the other drawbacks are conflicting views on the university's alco­ Hall Friday night or Saturday Morning. searching for a potential weapon to use in depressive hangovers, users feeling empa­ hol policy. "Generally we are called," said "Always in drugs, not always with alco­ the cold war, but while MDMA is more thetic and the drug lowering sexual inhibi­ Chief John Cook of the UMBC Campus hol," said Soldner. "The police's primary toxic than some substances, it would take tions, men losing the ability to get erections Police in regard to alcohol violations. function is to maintain safety and security 14 completely pure pills ingested at once to while on it, but having an increase of sexu­ An incident involving as.maily as eight and to restore order." The vandalism, kill you. al stimulation, and in rare. cases, E can individuals in an Erickson Residence Hall underage-drinking and noise violations In the '80s, ecstasy made a huge come­ cause psychological trauma to the user. Sept. 16 was never reported to Campus apparently did not constitute police back in Europe in the club scene. It reached Most people who end up in the hospital police. The resident assistant on duty involvement. Residential Life and universi­ a pinnacle of popularity in the early 1990s, for the drug are not actually taking MDMA, reported to Erickson 225A to respond to a ty officials handle incidents involving and since has become increasingly com­ but something or a variety of things sold as noise violation. underage drinking internal! y. monplace in the United States, at clubs and ecstasy. Some organizations in Europe and Eric Rodam and Jason Bowman were "Usually the first time something hap­ with more frequent use. The National the United States andornly testE for purity. found in their room with as many as six pens you get placed on disciplinary proba­ Household Survey on Drug Abuse found in An organization called DanceSafe, tests pill other individuals. According to an anony­ tion and housing probation [for a year]," its 1998 survey that the heaviest users of e samples sent in from anonymous users mous source, of the eight students, one was said Soldner. "And then the second time was the age grotip 18 to 25 years old. Five around the United States, found that 40 not a UMBC resident and had not been something happens you might be removed percent or about 1.4 million people in this percent of the drugs they tested were fake. signed into the building. · from housing." Drug violations can result range used ecstasy in 1998. At UMBC, a Fake ecstasy can contain aspirin, caf­ The incident on the second floor of the in removal from the residential facilities. survey of about 400 students showed that feine, DXM- a cheap cough suppressant Erickson Residence Hall prompted resident Erickson Residence Hall, the newest while the percentage of students who have that causes hallucinations at the 130 mg assistant Richard Poirier to freeze the dormitory, has two desks, the main desk done it at least once was 7 percent, the per­ dose usually found in fake E, and PMA - building from approximately 2:25 to 2:55, and the east desk. Double doors, requiring centage of those who did it monthly a dangerous hallucinogenic and hypother­ allowing no individuals to leave the prem­ a One-Card to unlock and open, separate dropped drastically to 1 percent, much mic drug, but E never contains heroin. Both ises. each floor into three separate sections. lower than the NHSDA survey's findings. DXM and PMA cause extreme overheating "Sometimes when there is an incident The main desk is staffed 24 hours a day, Though it's illegal, many claim that e is because they inhibit the body's ability to that happens in the building and there are seven days a week. The east desk is only safe and doesn't have the drawbacks of sweat. people that are not residents involved, we staffed between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m., but other drugs, but since it is a chemical sub­ Since demand has grown, so has the ask the desks to hold students' IDs so we Erickson residents may enter through that stance, it has its own unique short and long incentive to produce fake ecstasy pills, can get an accurate accounting of who was · desk's entrance all day by swiping their red range negative effects. The two main dan­ especially at the one time raves full of teens signed into a room," said Matt Soldner, One-Cards. Erickson residents are there­ gers are taking a pill that's not purely that will never see the dealer again. Erickson's community director. Soldner fore able to bring in non-resident students MDMA, or not MDMA at all and what the Established dealers would never work with could not speak directly on this incident or other individuals, without signing them drug itself can do to you. The way ecstasy fake e, because they would lose business if due to confidentiality requirements. in as is required by Residential Life rules causes the feelings it does is by affecting they sold it. . Rodam and Bowman chose not to go on and regulations .. It is assumed this is how the brain cells that release serotonin, a Ecstasy, like any other drug, has nega­ record regarding the incident. The individ­ the individual in the event in question chemical that controls mood in your brain tive side effects. While statistics show the uals did acknowledge that an incident entered the building without signing into by forcing the cells to empty all their con­ drug is not incredibly popular here at occured ¢ough. the building. tents, way beyond the normal level, to UMBC, students still need to be aware of The hall's decorations were also tom flood the brain with the "happiness" chem- the risks involved when considering taking down from the walls, but it is unclear

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week

UMBC is holding a number of activities designed to increase awareness about alcohol use and abuse this month. University Health Services, athletics and the Counseling Center are sponsoring the October events.

* Midnight Madness will be Friday the 13th, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the RAG. * Alcohol Info will be given out Monday, Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the UC Plaza. *A speaker from Mothers Against Drunk Driving will visit the campus on Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 1-2 p.m., at a location to be announced. * Beer Goggling will take place Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Patapsco Community Room.

For questions or any further information about the programs or National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, please contact Marie Yeh, coordinator of Health Education, by calling x3751 or at [email protected].