The Ecstasy menace

Real concern appears to be growing among both the public and government officials over the growing abuse of the drug known as Ecstasy. After repeated warnings from local officials in Jakarta and other big cities where abuse of the drug is rampant, President Soeharto himself is apparently losing patience and has reportedly ordered the closure of any entertainment establishments found to be in any way involved in the circulation of Ecstasy.

All this is obviously heartening, considering the grave and damaging effects which the drug can have on users. Officially called methylendioxymethamphetamine but popularly known as Ecstasy, the drug is a powerful stimulant which, among moderate users, is said to induce a feeling of euphoria and increased energy, but which experts say also has the potential of stimulating violent behavior. At higher levels of abuse uncontrollably violent behavior, brain damage and even death may occur. As some people may recall, a celebrated case of death due to Ecstasy abuse occurred a few years ago involving several prominent personalities from the film and entertainment world.

Thus the wide concern about Ecstasy abuse is entirely understandable. From the business point of view, however, the Ecstasy trade is an enticing source of huge profits. Most of the pills that reach this country originate in Europe, particularly the Netherlands. Since March, customs and excise officials have confiscated more than 90,000 Ecstasy pills smuggled in from abroad in Jakarta alone. Earlier this month two Singaporeans and an Irishman were arrested at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for trying to smuggle in 20,000 Ecstasy pills.

According to knowledgeable sources in Jakarta, however, most of the Ecstasy pills circulating in this country are diluted from imported pills in clandestine "cottage industries", one of which is reportedly located in the Puncak mountain resort area. The imported pills are broken into three and mixed with other substances to produce three "home-made" pills. According to one source, the illicit producers can make a profit of Rp 60,000 from selling three pills produced from a single imported one. The average price is around Rp 120,000 per pure pill.

Through this dilution the price of the drug has apparently been drastically lowered, which brings the pill within reach of a much wider circle of potential users. In smaller towns the pills can reportedly be bought for as little as Rp 20,000 each. Obviously this practice not only widens the scope of the abuse, it also increases the danger of damaging effects on the user due to possible carelessness in the blending process.

Obviously, steps must be taken to stem or at least curb the extent of Ecstasy abuse. The pertinent question is how. Of late, officials in Jakarta and elsewhere have been busy conducting raids on night spots and other entertainment establishments to round up traffickers of the drug. However, these night spots -- of which Jakarta alone has more than 3,000 -- are major sources of revenue for the city administrations and drastic measures could harm not only the city treasuries but also the tourist trade. Besides, night spots are not the only outlets for the illicit trade.

We believe that while the present measures may, to a certain degree, be effective in limiting the Ecstasy trade, a more comprehensive approach, supported by serious research, is warranted.