Saturday, November 20, 2004

Write SF Chronicle About Ecstasy Error!

The San Francisco Chronicle needs to hear from you that it has passed along dangerous and misleading information in an article about the tragic death of Irma Perez, who died at 14 after taking Ecstasy at a sleepover with friends. The article says:

People rarely die from ecstasy use. There are a handful of deaths per year, mainly from severe dehydration. Experts warn that ecstasy, a synthetic hallucinogen that contains methamphetamine, can impair cognitive ability as well as the brain's ability to regulate memory and mood.

Since my first entry in this blog in October, I've recorded 14 Ecstasy deaths -- and that's just by searching English-language media. Certainly that number will double or triple if European and Asian deaths were added! I've included people murdered by someone high on Ecstasy, killed in a car crash when the car is driven by someone high on Ecstasy, and people who have taken Ecstasy and died as a result.

Send a letter to the San Francisco Examiner and tell them the article, titled "Ecstasy death a wake-up call for Belmont," which ran Nov. 19, is wrong and is giving a false sense that Ecstasy is relatively safe. Mention, too, that Ecstasy causes many psychological disorders, and researchers fear its serotonin-stripping characterist will lead to long-term depression.

The Chronicle's letters to the editor address is: letters@sfchronicle.com

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