Ecstasy Other names E, eccies, various names relating to "brands" of ecstasy - Mitzis, Smileys, Doves, etc. What is it?

• Ecstasy's chemical name is 3,4, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, and is one of a large "family" of drugs. It has a stimulant ("upper") effect as well as being classed as a hallucinogen.
• MDMA was first produced by the pharmaceutical company, Merck and Co, in 1914 as an appetite suppressant. The military experimented with it as a cheaper alternative to sending troops food during World War 1 and it has been used by psychotherapists, particularly those dealing with marital and relationship problems.
• Its recent use is probably rooted in Chicago in the mid 1980s and the birth of House music at the city's Warehouse club and the Ibizan club scene from around 1987 onwards. The music was synthesised, repetitive, "trancey" and MDMA was found to enhance the experience - giving people the energy to dance for hours and feelings of empathy, warmth and togetherness.
• It was partly responsible for the changing nature of both drug use and clubbing for young women - they became active in a drugs world which had really been dominated by men for some time. They also enjoyed being on a night out without the fear of alcohol-related violence and sexual threat. This was a scene where people just wanted to be with each other and share the experience.
• It has been estimated that between half a million to a million young people take at least one ecstasy tablet every weekend. Alcohol was being outsold by soft drinks and bottled water as young people began to make an active choice about how they wanted to enjoy themselves.
• The official response was the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act which targeted unlicensed outdoor raves, festivals and parties. The unofficial response was to report each and every ecstasy-related fatality under front page banner headlines. The "generation gap" was forced wider apart.
• Ecstasy also made its way onto the football terraces and played a huge part in reducing the violence at games.

How much does ecstasy cost and how popular is it?

• Ecstasy has dropped in price dramatically in recent years. Through the late 1980s and early 90s, people were paying £15 - £25 for a pill. The price now is around £3.
• As said above, at its height, around half a million to a million were using at least one ecstasy pill every weekend. There are indications that ecstasy is going out of style and cocaine is becoming more fashionable on the club scene. The price drop, however, does make it more available to young people who may not be clubbing.

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What are the effects?

• Ecstasy starts to take effect somewhere between 20 and 60 minutes after it has been taken. For most people these effects start with a tingling sensation all over the body, feeling energetic but calm and relaxed with it, feeling warm and loving but not necessarily in a sexual way, and feeling more intense than usual about things that are around. The mouth can feel dry and there can be a stiff feeling in the jaw, arms and legs.
• For some people the effects don't feel pleasant at all and some may experience feeling sick and unsteady, nervous, paranoid and confused.
• The effects last for around four hours from a single pill.

What are the risks?

The most apparent risk is death. Almost all Ecstasy-related deaths have received massive media coverage. This has given some people - users and non-users - the impression that Ecstasy-death is common. Some research has suggested that a number of young people rated Ecstasy as being more dangerous that heroin because of the amount and type of media coverage it was getting. There is no evidence, though, that this misinterpretation led to a decrease in the number of young people trying and using Ecstasy.
In reality, and although each one is tragic, Ecstasy deaths are very rare - a report from the Centre for Addiction Studies suggests that there were 40 ecstasy related deaths in England and Wales in 2001, double the number for 2000.

Of these deaths, the majority have been due to the effects of overheating. Ecstasy raises the body's temperature. If a person is dancing in a crowded and hot club at the same time, the body's temperature rises higher. If the person is wearing nylon clothing and a hat whilst dancing, it gets even hotter. The hotter a person gets, the more the risk of death from heatstroke and dehydration.
It is possible to reduce the potential for damage from heatstroke by taking regular breaks from dancing and moving to a cooler area of the club and by sipping water or fruit juice at regular intervals. This should be limited to sipping about a pint of water or juice - NOT alcohol - an hour. Even though they may be fashionable, it is better not to wear a hat whist dancing as this tends to keep body heat in.

Other risks are still unclear because of the lack of consistency in the quality of the drug, the number of possible different drugs people could be taking and the fact that relatively few people use Ecstasy regularly. Long-term and regular users of Ecstasy commonly experience depression though it is unclear whether or not this will be short-, medium- or long-term.

The risks of taking an Ecstasy "copy" are also unclear as it depends on what has been taken - obviously being sold and taking a vitamin C tablet as Ecstasy is not near as risky as taking Ketamine (a medical anaesthetic) believing it to be Ecstasy.

Having said that the risks are unclear, however, should not be taken as meaning that there are none!!

The law

Ecstasy is a Class A drug.

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