Ecstasy (MDMA) - What Kind of Drug Is It?
What Kind of Drug Is It?
MDMA, best known as ecstasy, is a drug usually taken in pill form, often in social settings such as parties, clubs, or raves. (A rave is a wild overnight dance party that typically involves huge crowds of people, loud techno music, and illegal drug use.) By 2004, however, ecstasy use had spread beyond the party scene. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy of the Executive Office of the President: "[R]esearch indicates that the use of MDMA is moving to settings other than nightclubs, such as private homes, high schools, college dorms, and shopping malls."
The illegal substance produces a variety of effects on behavior and basic metabolism (bodily function). Some of these effects are temporarily pleasant. The user may feel happy, more in tune with others, and more energetic. Other effects are not so welcome. These include clenched jaws, dehydrationAn abnormally low amount of fluid in the body., and dangerous fever.
Although some drugs have a long history of use and abuse, ecstasy is a relatively new arrival on the illegal drug scene. The earliest studies in people and animals do indicate that ecstasy has a lasting effect on its users in terms of depression, memory loss, and impulsive behavior. Depression is a mood disorder that causes people to have feelings of hopelessness, loss of pleasure, self-blame, and sometimes suicidal thoughts.
Ecstasy was named a Schedule I substance by the U.S. government in 1985. Basically, that means that scientists have not found any safe medical use for the drug. Its production, sale, and consumption are illegal, and this affects the quality of each individual pill. Ecstasy is a synthetic drug, meaning that it is made in a laboratory—it does not occur in nature. It is created from chemicals. These laboratories operate in secret, with no official medical or government agency regulating or checking on the quality, dosage, or even the composition of the pills. Sold on the street, the ecstasy pills might also contain such substances as caffeine, dextromethorphan (deks-troh-meth-ORR-fan), or a dangerous hallucinogenA substance that brings on hallucinations, which alter the user's perception of reality. called PMA. (Entries for caffeine, dextromethorphan, and PMA are also available in this encyclopedia.)
Ecstasy behaves differently than other controlled substances. Some scientists call it an "entactogen" (ent-AK-tuh-jenn), meaning that it enhances feelings of kindness, well-being, and empathy or understanding. Others call it a stimulant—a substance that increases the activity of a living organism or one of its parts. In the body, ecstasy works like a combination of amphetaminesPronounced am-FETT-uh-meens; stimulant drugs that increase mental alertness, reduce appetite, and help keep users awake. and hallucinogens. Like amphetamines, it stimulates users, making them more likely to dance for long periods and interact with others in a most outgoing way. Like hallucinogens, ecstasy heightens sensations, particularly those having to do with happiness and intimacy.
In his book Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use and Abuse, Paul M. Gahlinger quoted a frequent ecstasy user who said: "E makes shirtless, disgusting men, a club with broken bathrooms, a deejay that plays crap, and vomiting into a trash can the best night of your life."
Ecstasy use increased every year between 1990 and 2001. With that increase came a better understanding of the drug's pitfalls and how it affected human beings over time. Current statistics indicate that ecstasy use is declining as those experimenting with it have become aware of its dangers. Deaths among ecstasy users have been reported in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
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