NCJ Number
194579
Date Published
2001
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article explains the risks associated with the use of the drug Ecstasy (MDMA) and discusses its prevalence in the United States and abroad.
Abstract
This article begins by explaining that Ecstasy is a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances Act which signifies that it has no accepted medical use and is considered unsafe for ingestion. Its' prevalence is growing in the United States, with most of the imported tablets originating from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Israel. U.S. Customs reported that during the time period between October 1999 and April 2000 it seized four million Ecstasy tablets, up from the 750,000 tablets it found in fiscal year 1998. A 1999 study found that 8 percent of 12th graders had tried Ecstasy, up from 6.9 percent in 1997. Another study found that 10 percent of teenagers admitted to trying Ecstasy during the year 2000, up from 5 percent in 1995. Researchers report that Ecstasy use has been common and widespread in western nations for the past 10 years, especially in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The short-term risks of Ecstasy use include confusion, sleeping difficulties, anxiety, paranoia, depression, and memory loss. The long-term effects of Ecstasy use involve changes in brain structure and function. The author sites several studies that have found, among other things, damage to the serotonin transmitters in the brain, which affect mood. The author suggests that Ecstasy use will continue to rise because it is regarded by those who try it as a relatively risk-free drug. 37 Notes