• Ecstasy is MDMA, or
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. It belongs to a family of drugs called
"entactogens," which literally means "touching within."
Other drugs in this category include MDA, MDE and MBDB.
• Before it was made illegal in 1985, MDMA was used by psychiatrists
as a therapeutic tool. Studies are currently underway in Spain and Israel
assessing MDMA's effectiveness in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD).
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?
• MDMA is a "mood elevator" that produces a relaxed, euphoric
state. It does not produce hallucinations.
• MDMA takes effect 20 to 40 minutes after taking a tablet, with little
rushes of exhilaration which can be accompanied by nausea. 60 to 90 minutes
after taking the drug, the user feels the peak effects.
• Sensations are enhanced and the user experiences hightened feelings
of empathy, emotional warmth, and self-acceptance.
• The effects of 'real' ecstasy subside after about 3-5 hours.
• Users report that the experience is very pleasant and highly controllable.
Even at the peak of the effect, people can usually deal with important matters.
• The effect that makes MDMA different from other drugs is empathy,
the sensation of understanding and accepting others.
WHAT IS THE DOSAGE?
• E is almost always swallowed as a tablet or capsule. A normal dose
is around 100-125 mg.
• Black market "ecstasy" tablets vary widely in strength,
and often contain other drugs.
IS ECSTASY ADDICTIVE?
• Ecstasy is not physically addictive. However, the drug can often take
on great importance in people's lives, and some people become rather compulsive
in their use. Taken too frequently, however, MDMA loses its special effect.
• MDMA releases the brain chemical serotonin, elevating mood and acting
as a short-term antidepressant. Compulsive users may be unconsciously trying
to self-medicate for depression. Effective treatments for depression are available
with the proper diagnosis by a qualified physician.
BE CAREFUL
• Ecstasy is illegal and a conviction for possession can carry long
prison sentences.
• Frequent or high doses have been linked to neurotoxic damage in laboratory
animals. It is still unknown whether such damage occurs in humans or, if it
does, whether this has any long-term, negative consequences.
• Some people experience depression after taking MDMA. This is caused
by MDMA's action on certain brain chemicals.
• There have been some deaths associated with MDMA. Usually these have
been a result of heatstroke from dancing for long periods of time in hot clubs
without replenishing lost body fluids.
• Much of what is sold as "ecstasy" on the black market actually
contains other drugs, some of which can be more dangerous than MDMA, like
PMA, speed, DXM and PCP.
• Mixing ecstasy with alcohol or other drugs increases the risk of adverse
reactions.