The use of ecstasy, a prohibited drug said to be popular...

The use of ecstasy, a prohibited drug said to be popular among the affluent, will soon be among the list of offences meriting the death penalty, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said.
Drilon said senators have reached a consensus on the imposition of the death penalty on anyone caught possessing 10 grams of ecstasy. This followed Senate debates on amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972.
The Senate is currently deliberating on the proposed Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Under the bill, ecstasy and other new substances currently not included in the list of prohibited drugs would now be proscribed.
It also seeks to increase penalties by lowering the quantity of illegal drugs that would make one liable for the death penalty.