Ecstasy - Its uses, effects, and growing popularity

Essay by y2fuHigh School, 11th grade May 2005

download word file, 4 pages 4.3

Ecstasy, or MDMA, which stands for methylenedioxymethamphetamine, is a psychedelic amphetamine that has become very popular over the last 20 years. It is now commonly used at dance clubs and parties because it acts as a stimulant as well as making a person very social with others, even strangers.

It is estimated that 94.1 million Americans of the age 12 or older has used an illicit drug at least once in their lifetimes, one of those drugs being Ecstasy. Now, due to the effect that the drug has on the body, it seems as if Ecstasy and dance clubs go hand in hand.

Like any other drug, ecstasy is used by different people for a variety of different reasons and because the drug has such a wide range of effects, it can add excitement and fulfillment to almost any activity. The most common activities that ecstasy users engage in are raves.

The use of Ecstasy at raves/dance clubs is the greatest cause of death because Ecstasy affects the body temperature control and dancing for long periods of time in a hot atmosphere increases the risk of users overheating and dehydrating (losing too much body fluid) which can be fatal.

A standard oral dose of MDMA is between 80 - 150 mg. Most good quality pills contain somewhere in this range, generally 80-120 mg. A large percentage of users find that, unlike with many other psychoactives such as LSD or mushrooms, there is a 'sweet spot' in MDMA dosage. Once this spot is found, higher dosages are not particularly desirable as they don't increase the sought after effects or duration.

The price of MDMA varies wildly depending on where it's purchased and in what quantity. A single tablet bought at a rave can cost as much as $50 though more...