(METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE)

methylenedioxymethamphetamine or "MDMA" is a drug that is quickly becoming more popular everyday. Some of the most common street names for MDMA used by street users are Ecstacy, XTC, and "X".

Ecstacy is a hallucinogen and produces stimulant effects like amphetamine. It is commonly marketed as a "feel good drug" because of the positive feelings of well being and empathy toward other people, elimination of anxiety, and extreme relaxation. It is also said that ecstacy suppresses the need to eat drink and sleep, allowing club scene users to endure all night and some times two or three day parties. Ecstacy is distributed mostly in pill or capsule form.

In the early 1980’s Ecstacy quickly became the "in" drug for weekend parties in some areas and continued until 1988 when DEA took steps to make it a Schedule I drug.

In 1987 Ecstacy fueled all night dance parties that are now known as "raves" in England. The popularity of Raves continued to grow rapidly. By 1992 raves were being held in virtually every country in the world. The popularity of rave parties has continued to grow ever since, increasing the demand for Ecstacy and increasing the popularity of the drug.

Ecstacy is made in clandestine laboratories similar to the way Methamphetamine is created. It is then pressed into pills with pill presses or placed in capsules. The majority of Ecstacy, approximately 90% is manufactured in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is then smuggled to the United States on commercial airlines and by other means. It is estimated that about 2,000,000 Ecstacy tablets are smuggled into the United States each week. Government agencies involved in interdiction are reporting sharp increases in the amount of Ecstacy being seized. U. S. Customs seized 400,000 1997, 750,000 in 1998, 3,500,000 in 1999 and in fiscal year 2000 they seized 9,300,000 Ecstacy tablets. It is plain to see that the popularity of Ecstacy is on the rise at an alarming rate.

 

• Nausea

• Sweating

• Nystagmus

• Teeth grinding

• Pupillary dilation

• Increased heart rate

• Dryness of the mouth

• Muscle tension (jaws)

• Increased blood pressure

Altered perception of time                 Euphoria

Change in visual perception             Greater self-esteem

Decreased aggression                               Increased awareness of emotions

Increased sensual arousal                Increased openness

Empathy towards others                   Loss of self consciousness

Enhanced Communications              Reduced Defensiveness

Enhanced sense of touch                         Relaxed Feeling

 

• Acne/skin rash
  

• Frequent headaches
  
  

• Frequent stomach cramps

• Psychiatric disturbances – panic, anxiety, paranoia, depression

   

• Nausea, muscle tension, chills, sweating, tremors, blurred vision, circulatory problems, hypothermia, electrolyte imbalance.

   

• Tissue and organ failure

   

• Massive release of serotonin leading to potential destruction of these neurons, learning/memory problems

 



 

• Acute renal (kidney) failure

   

• Cardiovascular collapse

   

• Cerebral infarction (cell death due to local loss of circulation) or bleeding

   

• Depression
  

• Hepatic (liver) failure
  

• Hyponatremia (low sodium) (water intoxication)
  

• Psychosis
  

• Respiratory failure
  

• Rhabdomyolysis (degeneration of muscle proteins)
  

Ecstacy is targeted to appeal to teenagers and young adults. The pills are generally pastel in color and have many different logos' that are stamped into the pills. The logos' range from Christmas trees around the Christmas holidays to shamrocks and designer emblems such as Nike, Mitsubishi, playboy bunny, there are many, many more.

Another reason why Ecstasy appeals more to our youth and young adults is because it is not intrusive. You don’t have to inject, snort, or smoke it. All you have to do is put it in your mouth and swallow it like an aspirin. Many people take aspirin, vitamins and all kinds of other medications on a daily basis and don’t think twice about popping a Ecstacy pill.

You might think that what I am about to tell you is silly or nonsense but the following Items are the types of paraphernalia you might find if you suspect someone of using Ecstacy, this is not a joke its real.

You might be telling yourself "no way!" but I assure you this is true. The next segment will be on Rave clubs and Rave drugs. You will get a much clearer picture of what all of this paraphernalia is for when I have this article posted.