Ecstasy (methylenedioxmetharnphetamine)

The drug known as methylenedioxmetharnphetamine is more commonly called MDMA or "ecstasy" among drug users (Wood and Synovitz 2001, 38). The history of MDMA begins in the early twentieth century when, after its discovery by German chemists, it was patented in 1914 and used as an appetite suppressant for soldiers during World War I. A stimulant, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports MDMA is a psychoactive drug "chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline" (MDMA 2004, 1). During the 1970s and 1980s, the drug MDMA was used by psychotherapists to help patients with interpersonal relationships, self-esteem, and self-insight (Wood and Synovitz 2001). Beginning in the 1980s, however, MDMA became popular with recreational drug users. Such use prompted research on its potential harmful effects. In 1985, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classified MDMA as a Schedule I controlled substance, banning its production and use by the mental health professions despite protests from physicians and psychotherapists. Increased use of MDMA continues associated with the rise of parties among young people known as "raves". These are all night music and dance parties that happen in conjunction with the consumption of ecstasy and other illicit activities.

According to NIDA, more than 676,000 people aged 12-and-older admitted taking ecstasy in 2002 (MDMA 2004, 1). The negative psychological and physical affects o

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mental: the relief of muscular tension and the dissolution of fear" (1). The following diagram illustrates the total effects of MDMA on the user: Short-Term Effects Long-Term Effects Physiological Psychological Elevated heart rate Increased sense of well-being Insomnia Increased empathy Dehydration Inability to focus Dilated pupils Visual hallucinations Clenching of jaw Paranoia Grinding of teeth Anxiety Increased body temperature Elevated blood pressure (Wood and Synovitz 2001, 40) In the long-term, the drug is known to permanently impact memory, impair vision and verbal ability, neuron damage, and increases the risk of birth defects in women who prenatally expose their fetuses to the drug. Among all of these effects, the drug also produces a number of significant toxicological effects on the body of both a physiological and psychological nature. The following chart demonstrates these affects on the MDMA user: Toxicity Physiological Psychological Vomiting Anxiety Tachycardia Panic reactions Hyperthermia Agitation Seizure Depression (Wood and Synovitz 2001, 40) The drug is popular because of high demand. Imported from Belgium and the Netherlands, the drug offers a lucrative market to dis

Category: Medical - E