Karen's page.

It's the kind of news that makes parents freak. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reported last week that teen use of Ecstasy rose 20 percent last year--and has increased a mind-boggling 71 percent since 1999.

I wish I could say I'm surprised by this stat, but I'm not. I hear stories all the time from readers who tell me about their going to parties on the weekend and rolling on E all night. We once ran an article ("The X Files," O/N '99) on the dangers of Ecstasy--written by a 16-year-old girl who almost died after taking the drug. Matter of fact, girls request copies of that article more than any other. More than articles about what to do if your friends diss you. More than articles on how to get a guy to notice you exist. Think about that.

The dangers of Ecstasy are well-documented, I really don't need to go into them here (but for more info, log on to www.girlslife.com to read our article and get links to other sites). It's easy to get lured into the good time Ecstasy seems to provide--happy vibes, the energy to dance all night. It's hard to argue over a pill that can do all that. But, oops, Ecstasy can also kill you. Talk about a downside.

I recently addressed a group of nervous mothers who asked me about Ecstasy. They wanted to know how to keep their daughters off drugs and asked me for a solution. My solution? Oh, thank goodness they asked me such an easy question. Usually, I have to tell people how to broker world peace....

Like everything in life, drugs are a choice. Not many people will tell you that because they want you to think no one has ever done them and, darn it, neither should you. But the truth is, plenty of people have done them, are doing them and will do them in the future. Otherwise, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America would be the The Partnership for People Looking for New Jobs. So here's the tricky question. What are you going to do about drugs?

We've spent hundreds of millions of dollars in this country teaching kids to Just Say No. But "no" isn't always so easy when everyone around you is having a swell time and you're wondering what all the fuss is about--and you're one sip of water away from finding out.

There are a gazillion reasons for nor doing drugs--death being my favorite. But addiction to something that could derail future plans, future out-of-jail time and future self-respect ranks up there, too.

The mothers asked me what my mom said to keep me off drugs. Well, my mom and I never really had The Drug Talk. I just made the decision not to do them and informed her of that. It wasn't because of anything my health teacher, the nice police officers who came to our school or Nancy Reagan (the former president's wife was queen of Just Say No while in the White House) had to say. I just decided I wanted a lot out of life, and drugs really weren't going to help me reach my goals.

Does that sound too simple, too naive, too goody-goody? Maybe. But trust me, I was no goody-goody. I went to all the parties, had all the fun. And, yes, I had more than my share of opportunities to do stuff. But I always thought about my decision, and that made it easier to pass on the drugs.

As pat as it sounds, life is about choices. As a girl, you have to make choices that are right for you. And, as much as your mother, your school and even your government, hope to influence you, only you have the power to keep yourself drug-free. Just Say No to death, to jail and to waking up with the hugest jaw ache you've ever experienced? OK, those are pretty good reasons not to do E. But I'm guessing that you, like me, simply just want a lot out of life.