Ecstasy

Ecstasy becomes more and more popular among young people, especially in Britain. Ecstasy or E is usually taken in nightclubs or discotheques. As regards a chemical structure it is known as methylenedioxymethamphetamine, in short MDMA. Ecstasy belongs to a hallucinogenic family of drugs, taken from the oils of products such as saffron or parsley.

In Europe and North America E is commonly known as the “hug drug”. This name comes from characteristic symptoms that appear after taking the drug. It gives you a feeling of warmth and love. It is also a powerful drug, it gives you a lot of energy. In about 45 minutes your blood pressure rises, pupils in your eyes become dilated and you loose co-ordination. Taking ecstasy causes the release of seratonin. The high content of that neurohormon may enter you an altered state of consciousness, that is marked by e.g. empathy for others or elimination of anxiety. This is the main reason that a lot of people take ecstasy, which is not recreational drug.

Taking MDMA may addict people and the overdose may cause their death. The statistics says that in Britain since 1988 at least 50 people have already died as a result of taking the drug. The death not have to ensue after the overdose. Dehydration of body and hyperthermia can also be one of the reasons.

As I said the ecstasy gives people a lot of energy. They can dance all night long without rest, and then the temperature of their bodies increases. They should drink a lot of water but in some nightclubs the bathroom taps are turned off because the owners want to encourage people to spend more money. So it makes the situation worse. The death can be also caused by mixing Ecstasy with other drugs, or even by the contamination of tablets, although some scientist don’t believe in this reason.

Because the drug is illegal, there is little scientific study about MDMA so nobody knows exactly what it does. Last November the British teenager died after taking a single Ecstasy tablet at her 18th birthday party. The reason of her death was probably drinking too much water, that diluted the blood. Next the blood with water was absorbed into the brain cells, and then the cells became to swell, and the result was coma and finally death. Her father at a press conference released a picture of his comatose daughter to show people what the taking of Ecstasy can do with them. Nevertheless it isn’t seemed that the taking of MDMA will decrease.