Ecstasy

Why do people die?.....

We don't know precisely how many young people take ecstasy, but we do know they probably see it as a recreational drug. When drug agencies first became aware of E's all that was known was that they made people feel happy. Now it's clear the drug does more than that.

The drug

E's, burgers, dove's in fact there are many street names for ecstasy. The chemical name is MDMA - Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and was once given to patients suffering from mental problems. Ecstasy is swallowed as a pill or capsule and has a distinguishing logo and colour.

Ecstasy is linked to raves, partying and having a good time. You might want to argue that it's no different to alcohol. You might say it's safer. After all, there are an estimated 40,000 deaths associated with alcohol each year and it's reckoned alcohol is a factor in 30% of murders and up to 70% of domestic violence. And there's drinking and driving!.

But maybe all these problems are caused by the abuse of alcohol, not sensible use?. Drinking alcohol has it's good points - it can cause people to feel relaxed, happy and able to lose some of their inhibitions. So too can ecstasy.

BUT, an ecstasy tablet is illegal - it has the same status as heroine in the eyes of the law. This is a class A drug, and prison is one form of punishment for being found guilty of possession with the intent to supply to others. Giving it to friends or buying it for friends are both seen as dealing, and not just selling it on for profit. All three could end up with a jail sentence.

Some people argue that E's should be legalised; that they are part of young peoples way of life just as much as alcohol is associated with the culture of an older generation. But if alcohol and tobacco were to be introduced into this country at the present time, knowing what we do about the dangers of their misuse, both might well be made illegal.

Although many of the effects of taking ecstasy are undeniably pleasant, abuse of the drug can have serious effects. It's an hallucinogenic drug after all; Ecstasy was first used by doctors in the States to help people talk about their inner feelings and recognise the depth of their emotional and psychological problems. It can make you feel great - but it can also leave you feeling terrible.

Is it safe

If `safe' is related to the risk of fatality (death), then MDMA could be regarded as a relatively safe drug. Of the many hundreds of thousands of young people who have ever tried the drug in the UK, there have been around 50 recorded deaths since 1988. In between these two extremes there are many people who have experienced unpleasant consequences from using ecstasy in large doses or chronically over a long period of time - and many others who have had `good' experiences.

What about contaminated E?

There are three commonly held views about what ecstasy is cut with:

• There's more `contaminated' ecstasy than pure MDMA: Certainly much that is sold as ecstasy contain other drugs such as ketamine, valium, paracetamol, talcum powder, caffeine, amphetamines, LSD. However, there is also much more of the real stuff out there than the media and some supporters of the drug would have us believe.

• The contaminants are all highly dangerous and include things like horse worming tablets and rat poison: There is little evidence that E's are regularly cut with these other substances. However on occasion it has been known.

• Purer E is safer E: The main problem with taking ecstasy is likely to be coping with an unexpected effect from the drug - or a tablet containing an unusually high quantity of E. Deaths have invariably involved MDMA or something very close to it like MDA.. Therefore, it could be argued that pure E is potentially more, not less, dangerous.

Home