Found mainly at night clubs and late-night parties, and used for a short-term high mainly by teenage suburbia, MDMA otherwise known as “ecstasy” can have long-term ill effects, including physical dependency and ultimately death.
Since last year, the number of teens using ecstasy has risen by 20 percent, according to Parents for a Drug-Free America.
This figure has risen by 71 percent since 1999.
Although total drug use has been declining, the use of ecstasy has quickly risen. The drug is mainly attracting teenagers and young adults.
A German company first synthesized this drug, which is scientifically known as methylenedioxymethamphetamine, in 1912.
They created it to be used as an appetite suppressant. In the 1970s, it was used to enhance psychotherapy by a group in America.
The illegal use of this drug did not become popular until the early 1990s.
Taken orally, this mixture of acid and speed accelerates the release of serotonin in the brain, which creates a feeling of euphoria, love and acceptance.
Many people are unaware of the side effects of taking ecstasy.
Though it is publicized as being a drug that cannot be addictive, the opposite is true.
Short-term ill effects include anxiety, irritability, paranoia and restlessness.
“It’s a popular drug with teens and young adults because of the misconception that it doesn’t have any long-term effects,” said Shane Robbins, director of Community Relations for the Memphis Recovery Center. “Because it’s a mixture of chemicals, it has the same addictive effects as cocaine.”
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, ecstasy can cause long-term brain injury, including damage to parts of the brain that are critical to thought and memory.
Other effects include seizures, sleeplessness and even the destruction of serotonin-producing neurons that play a role in regulating aggression, mood, sleep and sexual activity.
According to the ONDCP, a study done in 2000, 9.1 percent of college students and 7.2 percent of young adults ages 19-28 reported that they used ecstasy.
Emergency room visits caused by overdosing on ecstasy have increased from 421 people in 1995 to 4,511 people in 2000, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. There was another 58 percent increase in such visits in 2001, 80 percent of which were made by teenagers and young adults.
Robbins suggests that a majority of the people that use ecstasy take it because they have self-esteem problems and the drug helps them relax during social functions.
Robbins also says that the best way to get treated is to go through a rehabilitation process that includes a twelve-step program.
“Addiction is a disease of the mind,” said Robbins. “It’s not curable, and people have to cope with it. It’s like cancer. They have to learn how to manage the disease to cope with their life.”
