DuPage County officials are on the right track when they call for increased state penalties against Ecstasy dealers. As your Jan. 13 story pointed out (Metro, “DuPage officials urge state to toughen penalties for Ecstasy sellers,”) the existing penalties in most states amount to a mere slap on the wrist.
The same has long been true for federal penalties relating to so-called club drugs. Last year Congress took steps to change that with the unanimous passage of my Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act, which was signed into law in October.
The legislation is aimed at punishing those who profit from poisons–not teenagers who make bad choices.
Relatively low sentences for smuggling large quantities make Ecstasy an extremely valuable commodity.
Under current sentencing guidelines, selling 1,000 doses of ecstasy will net the dealer only about a year in prison.
It is also important that states join the fight. Together we can educate people about the proven dangers associated with Ecstasy and put dealers on notice that the party is over.
