Ecstasy

Ecstasy, or 3,4 methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as it is known in its chemical form, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that has many street names, including “X,” “XTC,” “the hug drug,” and “adam.” It was used by therapists in the 1970s and ’80s to facilitate psychotherapy, and in 1985 was declared a Schedule I substance by the U.S. government, rendering its consumption illegal for any purposes.

Ecstasy is taken in pill or powder form by users looking to exploit its effects that include feelings of euphoria and enhanced energy. Acting as both a stimulant and psychedelic, it is commonly used at concerts, clubs, and all-night dance parties called “raves” by users seeking energy to dance and socialize.

Abuse

Data from the Monitoring the Future study indicate that the use of ecstasy by U.S. college students began to rise in the mid-1990s. Starting in the late ’90s, there was a sharp increase in its use, with the annual prevalence rates rising as much as three and four times previous rates over just three years, from 2.4 percent in 1997 to 9.2 percent in 2001. After 2001, however, the use of ecstasy among college students declined, by the middle of the decade reaching similar levels prior to the sharp increase in the late ’90s.

Consequences

Ecstasy users face several adverse consequences, including cognitive, physical, and psychological effects.

When taken in high doses, it can impair the body’s temperature regulation, causing increased body temperature, which can result in kidney, liver, and cardiovascular failure, and in the worst cases, death. Short-term effects mimic those of other stimulants, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, chills, and blurred vision. The adverse psychological effects include depression, sleep disruption, and anxiety. An additional risk when taking ecstasy is the potential for ingesting additional chemicals that may have been added to its mix and sold as MDMA. These chemicals may include stimulants such as ephedra, caffeine, methamphetamine, and ketamine. In conjunction with MDMA alone, this mixing of chemicals is hazardous; users face further risk when such chemicals are used together with alcohol and marijuana.