What could be dangerous about a drug that makes you loving, mellow, and euphoric? Just a couple of things: Ecstasy can cause lasting brain damage — and even death.
What is Ecstasy?
The drug has a ton of nicknames: “M&M;’s,” “e,” “Love Doves,” “Rhapsody,” “Biscuits,” “Adam,” the “hug drug,” and others. Scientists call ecstasy MDMA (for methylenedioxy-methamphetamine). You may have heard that ecstasy is “natural.” Don’t believe it. The drug is manufactured. Organized crime is heavily into ecstasy production and sales. Someone’s got a motive to spread this stuff around, and that motive is spelled M-O-N-E-Y.
Erika Christensen, who plays the teen addict in Traffic, takes a look at the realities of what many teens think is just “harmless fun” on In the Mix.
Where is Ecstasy?
Everywhere: on dates, at friends’ homes, slumber parties, you-name-it. It’s not just at raves anymore.
How is Ecstasy Used?
Ecstasy is usually swallowed as a pill. But it’s also smoked, snorted, or shot-up. Ecstasy users build up a tolerance — they must use more and more to get the same results. Heavier users have worse damage, but even casual use can harm you.
What You Want vs. What You Get
People use ecstasy for:
- feelings of well-being, peacefulness, and friendship
- reduced inhibitions
- increased energy
- more sensuality
But they can also experience:
- vomiting
- chills
- blurred vision
- sweating
- anxiety
- sleeplessness
- paranoia
- hallucinations
- rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure
- muscle seizures (pacifiers are sometimes used because of jaw clenching)
- irrationality
- overheating and water loss
Ecstasy’s Gifts that Keep on Giving
Serious medical conditions are linked to the use of ecstasy. Some of these have permanent, life-changing effects:
- birth defects (if taken during pregnancy)
- kidney failure
- liver damage
- heart attacks
- internal bleeding
- depression
- severe mental problems
- convulsions
- permanent memory and learning problems
Hey, It’s Just Your LIFE . . . !
Want to play Russian roulette? Ecstasy can kill you through:
- secret ingredients: You never know what street drugs are laced with. Some of those extras are deadly.
- mixtures: Many ecstasy users combine the drug with alcohol, LSD, pot, or other drugs. This ups the risk of death by affecting your body’s ability to function.
- unpredictable results: A dose may be fine one time, but kill you the next. Water loss with high fever causes most ecstasy-related deaths. But since ecstasy decreases urinating, you can also die from drinking too much.
Still on a Bliss Hunt?
Want to make sure the words “permanent” and “damage” never apply to your brain? Or that the word “ecstasy” isn’t whispered during your funeral? X out ecstasy.
But you can still have soaring feelings of well-being. Try:
- exercising (which ups those natural “feel-good” body chemicals)
- volunteering to help someone who needs help
- meditation instead of medication
- dancing
For further information:
The Love Drug: Marching to the Beat of Ecstasy by Richard S. Cohen. Haworth Press, 1998.
Sex, Marijuana, and Alcohol: The Facts
See brain scans showing ecstasy damage at:
Ecstasy Damages the Brain and Impairs Memory in Humans
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