Drug Abuse of MDMA or Ectasy

Drug Abuse: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or Ecstasy)

Drugs abound and they consist of legal and illegal drugs. There are legal drugs that become illegal as a result of abuse and sale without prescription. Other drugs though are manufactured strictly for illegal purposes and one of which is Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or Ecstasy). Developed in the early 1900s as an aid to psychiatric counseling though never used widely, Ecstasy came in vogues again in the club scene in the late 20th century and became even more popular in the early 2000s. Users prefer Ecstasy for the rapture and euphoria it provides; however, there are adverse side effects thereof as in any illicit drugs used. The paper deals with these side effects as well as the prevalence of the used of MDMA not only in the United States but Europe as well.

Drug Abuse: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or Ecstasy)

Drugs and medicines have been developed in order to provide relief from various ailments and help combat dreaded disease. This has always been the premise of drug development throughout history. But like any other developments, there are the downside of the matter and with regards to drugs, abuse thereof has been prevalent. There are drugs developed legally and for health and medical reasons, and there are drugs developed also for illicit or illegal purposes. Some of the contemporary drugs developed illegally are what is known as "club drugs." As the name implies, these drugs are " used by teenagers and young adults at bars, nightclubs, concerts, and parties. Club drugs include GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, and others. [MDMA (Ecstasy), Methamphetamine, and LSD (Acid)]. (NIDA, 2010)" Majority of these drugs have been manufactured legally but then abused while there are those that are made solely for the purpose of being abused and one such drug is methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or more commonly known as the street name Ecstasy or XTC. The origin of Ecstasy dates back to the early 1900s and based on two literatures, the dates vary. In the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) website (2010), MDMA was reported to have "originally been developed in 1912 by the Merck chemical company, it was never marketed as Ecstasy then." In Campbell and Rosner's journal article (2008), the drug was "first synthesized in 1914 and originally developed as an appetite suppressant; however, the compound was never used for that purpose, and in the 1970s recreational drug use with MDMA was first note."

No matter how Ecstasy has been developed for, its primary used at present is for recreational purposes. MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphet-amine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. MDMA is a derivative of amphetamine and a member of the phenethylamine family. A number of homologous compounds with broadly similar effects (EMCDDA, 2010) have been formulated but did not get the same amount of popularity such compared to Ecstasy. Once ingested, MDMA produces feelings of increased energy, euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time, perception, and tactile experiences. (NIDA, 2010) These effects are quite attractive to club users because of the enhanced effect Ecstasy has while they dance the night away.

In addition to the above, Ecstasy has been the preferred drug of choice for those engaging in sexual activities for the same enhanced reason and there are those who even swear that the drug increases sexual stamina and satisfaction. This is not surprising because one of the primary effects of MDMA is on the neurons in the brain particularly those that use serotonin "to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin system plays an important role in regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. (NIDA, 2010)" The net result of these CNS effects is to increase acutely the levels of these neurotransmitters at the synapse. These effects on neurotransmitter levels lead to many of the effects that are induced by ecstasy use, including mood changes and thermoregulation and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. (Campbell & Rosner, 2008) Thus, the chemical components contained in MDMA changes the mood or behavior of the drug abuser from rapture, aggression, to increase in libido.

Ecstasy general comes in "tablet form and is almost always used orally (ingested), but the powdered form could also be snorted, inhaled or injected, although the latter route is rarely observed in the context of recreational ecstasy use (EMCDDA, 2010)." Often, it is difficult to distinguish Ecstasy from other legal and prescriptive drugs because manufacturers vary the make and look to thwart law enforcement officers when they capture dealers and users. Thus, there are Ecstasy in tablet form while others are in capsules. Those sold as capsules can readily be snorted thus giving the user faster means of getting the effects of the drug.

As in any other drug that is abused or taken without medical prescription and supervision, there are severe side effects to the use of Ecstasy. Some of the more common side effects of Ecstasy intake are agitation, anxiety, tachycardia and hypertension, hyperthermia, renal failure, cardiac complications, intracranial hemorrhage, and hepatotoxicity (Campbell & Rosner, 2008; EMCDDA 2010; NIDA, 2010). Some individuals though may develop tolerance for Ecstasy and would have no adverse side effects after ingestion; others, on the other hand may immediately suffer from the worst side effects after taking the drug only once. This has been confirmed in research conducted by Campbell and Rosner where they found that (2008) "unlike other drugs of abuse, the pattern of toxicity related to ecstasy is not attributable to overdose. Some individuals can use the drug without harm, whereas others, taking similar amounts, have experienced serious toxicity." This is the reason why there have been news reports of individuals particularly teenagers who died not from Ecstasy overdose but by merely taking the drug for the first time. Based on Campbell and Rosner's research in 2008, "the risk for death from Ecstasy in first-time users has been estimated to be between one in 2000 and one in 50,000." Fast forward to the present times and these statistics may have increased especially since the sale of this illegal drug continuous.

Indeed, the rate of Ecstasy use has been alarming. In National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2008 and 2009, the results are quite astounding. "Approximately 1.1 million Americans used ecstasy for the first time in 2009, which is a significant increase from the 894,000 first-time users reported in 2008. In 2009, an estimated 760,000 people (0.3% of the population) in the United States aged 12 or older used MDMA in the month prior to being surveyed. (NIDA, 2010)" Looking at the statistics across the Atlantic, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction reports that (2010) "Ecstasy has been tried by 7.5% (United Kingdom) of the adult population depending on the country, around 3% on average in the European Union." These again are glaring statistics that proves how popular the drug is and covers a wide demographics from different age groups to varied socio-economic levels. Eventually, Ecstasy may become like marijuana or crack wherein the use thereof will transcend several boundaries thus having a wider market if left uncheck.