Ecstasy Fatalities Increasing

Youth and healthy individuals are increasingly dying from ecstasy use. A new release in Science Daily highlights a paper by a University of Hertfordshire academic which reports that ecstasy-related death rates in young users is cause for concern.

Lead author on this paper is Professor Fabrizio Schifano at the University’s School of Pharmacy. Schifano and his colleagues reviewed stimulant-related deaths from the np-SAD database and from the British Crime Survey 2001-2007 results. In this review, the researchers found 832 amphetamine and methylamphetamine-related deaths and 605 ecstasy-related deaths.

The element of higher concern identified the fact that the fatalities from ecstasy during that period

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20 Steps to Protect Yourself From Date Rape Drugs

By Suzanne Kane

Since Rohypnol and other so-called “date rape drugs” and club drugs like GHB and ketamine were first introduced into the U.S. in the early 1990s, young women and girls (and young men as well) have increasingly fallen victim to date rape. Don’t be a victim! Protect yourself by following these tips. … Continue Reading

What You Need to Know about Ecstasy

Ecstasy was originally developed in Germany in 1917 as an appetite suppressant. It never made it to market, however, due to some “unpleasant” side effects. Ecstasy surfaced in the U.S. in the 1970s when it was used by psychiatrists to treat various conditions. In the 90s, ecstasy became the drug of choice for persons attempting to “reconnect” with each other in an impersonal society. Today, ecstasy is popular on the rave and dance club scene and used by teens and young adults.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2006 there were an estimated 528,000 people (0.2 percent of the population) in the U.S. who reported using ecstasy in the month prior to being surveyed. These included individuals from age 12 and up. The survey also indicated that 860,000 persons in the U.S. used the drug for the first time in 2006 and most (70.1 percent) of these new users were 18 or older. … Continue Reading