"420" (four twenty) is something that adolescent drug users know about, talk about and have celebrated more in recent years. Unfortunately, many teachers, counselors, parents and other adults have only recently become aware of this phenomenon. Therefore, we want to inform you of the significance of "420".
What is "420"? 420 is most recognized by the drug culture as April 20th of any year (4-20-00). April 20th has become the national marijuana-smoking day for the drug culture. This is a day when infrequent users, substance abusers and those who are chemically dependent will get high. For many marijuana addicts, "420" is not just a day of the year, but also a certain time of the day, 4:20 p.m. or 4:20 a.m.
At New Directions we have seen the "420" phenomenon as a symptom of an adolescent drug user's preoccupation with chemical use. We have had many clients bring up the time in their 4:00 P.M. counseling session, or ask their parents if they could have the numbers 420 on their license plate.
Many teens use marijuana at 4:20 p.m. each day with the belief that they were sharing a common bond with other marijuana smokers at that moment in time.
A client from our program whose "clean and sober" date was April 21st, 1998, lost significant "clean and sober" time due to a relapse that occurred on April 20th 1998. We have also had many clients who had three to four months of sobriety lose it all on April 20th.
With the rampant acceptance, use and availability of marijuana on "420", we see the day as a significant trigger for relapse for anyone in early recovery.
This year 420 (April 20th, 2000) falls on spring break and it may very well be the most heavily celebrated 420 ever considering it is the first 420 of the New Millennium
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 420 and Ecsasty 2 420 and Ecsasty continued

As you may know, the use of the drug "Ecstasy" has been on the rise with young people.

We are hearing more and more stories from adolescents who talk about other kids whose previous chemical use would consist of alcohol at school dances but now are using ecstasy instead.

Equally frightening, we are also seeing more clients that have been in need of prescribed psychiatric medication to deal with ecstasy-inducted anxiety, mood or psychotic disorders.

In its purest form, ecstasy is really MDMA or MDA. The toxicologists at the lab we use to test for Ecstasy, Drug Detection Laboratories (916) 366-3113 state that much of what is sold on the street as Ecstasy may not even contain MDA at all, rather Dextromethorphan which is common in many over the counter cough medicines. This sheds light on the fact that many ecstasy users do not really know what they are taking. Unfortunately, many do not understand the potential psychological disorders that can occur as a result of the discussed later in this article.

What are the street names for Ecstasy? Some of the street names are: "E", "XTC", "vitamin E", "candy", "mind candy","nikEs", "blue nikEs", "yellow bananas", "mitubishis", "007's", "double stacks".. Ecstasy users refer to the combination of LSD and ecstasy as "Candy Flipping". Moreover, ecstasy users refer to the combination of ecstasy and mushrooms as "Hippie Flipping".

Where do kids use Ecstasy and other hallucinogens? "Raves"
Anyone who is using ecstasy has, in all likelihood, attended or is very aware of "Raves". "Raves" are well-organized parties which have been held at warehouses or at peoples house in the past, however now