ecstasy
Ecstasy (or MDMA) is a psychoactive amphetamine drug with psychedelic and stimulant effects. When ingested, it creates a sense of intimacy with others and diminished feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression. It is one of the most widely used recreational drugs in the world and is commonly associated with dance parties (or “raves”) and electronic dance music. Studies suggest that long-term use of MDMA may cause brain damage.
Posted under Club Drugs
Ecstasy May Cause Long-Term Brain Changes, Study Finds
Ecstasy, an illicit drug that produces feelings of euphoria and is popular at raves and other dance clubs, is associated with chronic changes in brain function, according to a new study by Ronald Cowan, M.D., P.h.D., associate professor of psychiatry.
Posted under Teens
Teens’ Attitudes Dangerously Shifting Toward Ecstasy, Marijuana and Alcohol
Ecstasy and marijuana are higher on U.S. teens’ radar than they’ve been in recent years, says a study. Even more troublesome are the study findings that teens are also more accepting toward alcohol consumption.
Posted under Club Drugs
MDMA: A Stimulant Drug You Should Avoid
A synthetic, psychoactive drug, MDMA – or methylenedioxymethamphetamine – is known to be chemically similar to stimulant methamphetamine, as well as the hallucinogen mescaline. Individuals will take MDMA, which is also known as Ecstasy, due to its ability to produce feelings of increased energy, emotional warmth, euphoria and even distortions in perception, time and tactile experiences.
Posted under Drug Crime
Tainted Drugs Suspected in Death Caused at Rave
A 23-year-old man from Santa Clara died on Saturday, May 29, 2010 after attending a rave in Daly City, CA where he possibly ingested tainted drugs. The rave, known as “Pop 2010: The Dream,” is a large annual event held at the Cow Palace arena and attracts thousands of gatherers each year. This year’s event drew more than 16,500 attendees. The rave is a well-known location where drugs such as MDMA—also known as Ecstasy—are illegally sold and used by attendees while they dance for extended periods of time inside confined and poor ventilated environments. Nearly a dozen other attendees were hospitalized with life-threatening symptoms early Sunday morning. Five remained in critical condition as of Monday. Police are now investigating the man’s death as possible homicide.
Posted under Club Drugs
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
Posted under Club Drugs
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
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