LA County Ecstasy Health Warning Draws Fire

LOS ANGELES (AP) - County health officials are revising a warning flier about the drug Ecstasy that urged rave goers to use only low doses, it was reported Wednesday.

After criticism, the county Department of Public Health "is immediately revising the card to further and more emphatically state that illegal drug use is dangerous," said a department statement cited by the Los Angeles Times.

The flier, paid for by electronic music festival promoters, was created when a 15-year-old girl died of an Ecstasy overdose after attending a rave last June at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Intended for distribution to adults attending raves, the purple-and-blue sheet describes Ecstasy and its effects.

To minimize potential harm, the flier advises users to "aim low" in dosage and frequency of use, take frequent breaks, stay hydrated, avoid driving and avoid taking the drug with other substances, especially alcohol.

The flier adds: "Stay away - The only way to completely avoid the risks is to avoid the drug. Enjoy the music and dancing instead."

The flier was intended to be handed out at future raves at the Coliseum and the Sports Arena. It was developed from recommendations of a "rave safety task force" that was convened by county supervisors, according to the health department statement.

However, county Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich issued a statement Tuesday demanding the health department avoid distributing the flier and come up with a revised version.

"Counseling young people on the use of the illegal drug Ecstasy is stupid and contrary to Los Angeles County's zero-tolerance policy on drugs," Antonovich said.

___

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com