SWIZZLE 2004
MDMA (Ecstasy)
CLUB
DRUGS
STATISTICS AND INFORMATION ON EVENT “ENHANCING” DRUGS.
M
Reprinted with permission from www.athealth.com
DMA (ecstasy), Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are among the drugs used by teens and young adults who
are part of a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene. Raves and trance events are generally night-long
dances, often held in warehouses. Many who attend raves and trances do not use drugs, but those who
do may be attracted to their generally low cost, and to the intoxicating highs that are said to deepen the rave
or trance experience. Current science, however, is showing changes to critical parts of the brain from use of
these drugs.
Although national rates for hospital emergency department (ED) mentions of club drugs were low in 2002
(with none exceeding 2 mentions per 100,000 population) and no increases were measured from 2001 to 2002,
significant increases in certain club drug mentions were apparent from 1995 to 2002. MDMA ED mentions, for
example, increased from 421 in 1995 to 4,026 in 2002; and GHB ED mentions increased from 145 in 1995 to 3,330
in 2002.*
MDMA
(3-4
methylene-
dioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic,
psychoactive drug chemically similar to
the stimulant methamphetamine and the
hallucinogen mescaline. Street names
for MDMA include “ecstasy,” “XTC,”
and “hug drug.” Drug use data sources
for 21 metropolitan areas nationwide
indicate that MDMA, once used prima-
rily as a club drug, is being used in a
number of other social settings.** In
high doses, MDMA can interfere with
the body’s ability to regulate tempera-
ture. This can lead to a sharp increase in
body temperature (hyperthermia),
resulting in liver, kidney, and cardiovas-
cular system failure. Because MDMA
can interfere with its own metabolism
(breakdown within the body), potential-
ly harmful levels can be reached by
repeated drug use within short intervals.
Research in humans suggests that
chronic MDMA use can lead to changes
in brain function, affecting cognitive
tasks and memory. MDMA can also lead
to symptoms of depression several days
after its use. These symptoms may occur
because of MDMA’s effects on neurons
that use the chemical serotonin to com-
municate with other neurons. The sero-
tonin system plays an important role in
regulating mood, aggression, sexual
activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. In
addition, users of MDMA face many of
the same risks as users of other stimu-
lants such as cocaine and ampheta-
mines.
Research in animals links MDMA
exposure to long-term damage to sero-
tonin neurons. A study in nonhuman pri-
mates showed that exposure to MDMA
for only 4 days caused damage to sero-
tonin nerve terminals that was evident 6
to 7 years later. While similar neurotox-
icity has not been definitively shown in
humans, the wealth of animal research
indicating MDMA’s damaging proper-
ties suggests that MDMA is not a safe
drug for human consumption.
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SWIZZLE APRIL 1, 2004 9