Ecstasy-Fueled 'Rave' Parties Become Dances of Death For English Youths

THE ILLEGAL designer drug ecstasy—promoted by some as a safe, nontoxic means to "warm, loving relaxation"—has killed at least 15 young people in England in the last 2 years and caused severe toxicity in numerous patients, experts report from that country's National Poisons Unit. In almost every case, a recreational dose of the drug had been taken at a dance club or party where crowds danced vigorously in popular, all-night dance sessions called "raves." In most of the serious cases reported, the users had collapsed unconscious or started to convulse while dancing. By the time they were noticed and taken to emergency departments, their body temperatures had soared as high as 110°F (43.3°C), their pulses were racing, and their blood pressures were plummeting. These patients with severe toxicity usually developed disseminated intravascular coagulation, rhabdomyolysis, and acute renal failure. Despite treatment, death sometimes ensued from 2 to 60 hours after admission,