Reports of Lower Ecstasy Use

Thanks to the efforts of so many -- and 9/11 -- Ecstasy use among teens in teh US appears to be dropping. First, 9/11:

Tighter airport security since the 9/11 attacks has pinched the flow of the drug into the USA from chief suppliers in the Netherlands and Belgium, making it less available and more expensive.

And some experts think the messages against Ecstasy coming from Voice of the Victims and numerous other sources may actually be working:

Teens and young adults have taken note. Last year, 57.7% of high school seniors said they believed that taking Ecstasy just once or twice could harm them, up from 33.8% in 1997, according to an annual survey of teen drug use by the University of Michigan.

That's all great, but a couple things worry me. Ecstasy use is crazy popular in Europe and Asia, and manufacturers there will work hard to penetrate the vast American market.

And there's a big difference between understanding the risks of drugs and making the right choices in the emotional venue of parties, friends and peer pressure.

For more information, see USA Today coverage here and here.