The Drug Ecstasy

The drug ecstasy gets you wired to stay up all night and party.

Get the facts. The party will end but so can your life

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine) popularly known as Ecstasy, TXC, Adam, Essence, E., is an illegally manufactured synthetic drug with amphetamine-like hallucinogenic properties. It is classified as a stimulant, and so is methanphetamine and cocaine.

The drug is sold in tablets or capsules, often with logos: Playboy bunnies, Nike swoosh, happy faces etc. CUTE! It’s intended to appeal to young people and it’s worked. Abuse and trafficking is on the rise and teens and young adults are the target.

Because of the demand there are ‘fakes’ containing other substances such as amphetamine, caffeine, codeine, DXM, ephedra/ephedrine, ketamine, MDA, methamphetamines, and PCP.

Used alone the drug can be dangerous, but it’s even more dangerous when used in combination with other drugs which is quite common in clubs.

It affects your brain. It can damage the neurons, impairing your senses, memory, judgment, and coordination.

It affects your body. It’s a stimulant, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure and can lead to heart and kidney failure.

It can kill. Higher does can cause server breathing problems, coma and even death.

This drug is considered a party drug, but as of yet it has not caught on with teens. The target market is young adults,and 93% of teens have never tried it by the end of grade 12.

Short-term effects pleasurable, producing positive feelings: empathy, eliminates anxiety, and relaxation. That’s why it’s called the ‘love drug’. It also suppresses appetite, thirst, and sleep, so on the club scene, users can pull all nighters and sometimes stay up for 2 or 3 day parties.

Long-term effects with repeated use the drug may damage the cells that produce serotonin, which regulates mood, appetite, pain, learning and memory.

Studies on both humans and animals have proven that regular use produces long-lasting, and possibly permanent damage to the brain’s ability to think and store memories.

Myth You don’t dance off the effects. The hot, crowded conditions found at raves, can lead to dehydration as well as heart or kidney failure. Also, some effects, like confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and sleep problems have been reported weeks after the drug use.

Because it's a party drug, I've been told that party people are not concerned about addiction. They should be. You can get addicted to cigarettes and coffee, why would a stimulant like Ecstasy not be addictive? And worse, it can kill.

Talking about ecstasy is similar to discussing alcohol and other drugs.
Learn the signs of alcohol and drugs
Ecstasy is just one party drug. There are more

(Source: SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information)