Ecstasy
Today, it is estimated that half a million people take ecstasy every weekend.
Name
Ecstasy is made up of a mixture of drugs, including a synthetic drug called MDMA, and is classed as a hallucinogenic amphetamine. A hugely popular recreational drug, ecstasy rose to prominence on the UK dance scene at the beginning of the '90s.
From
MDMA was first developed in Germany in 1912, though the chemists responsible are not believed to have had a particular purpose for the drug. The first proposed use occurred in the fifties when the US military experimented in psychological warfare. In the early '60s, US hippies turned to MDMA in their search for enlightenment, and word of mouth began to spread through the underground scene. At the same time, the drug became a feature of the psychotherapy world. It was used to help patients relax before undergoing therapy, and also as an aid to troubled couples seeking marriage guidance. By 1984, ecstasy had become a familiar drug among American students, where it was originally known as 'empathy', and later rebranded by zippy drug-dealers. In 1985, an emergency ban was placed on ecstasy by the US Drug Enforcement Agency. This was made permanent one year later.
In the UK, MDMA had already been outlawed in 1977, effectively criminalising ecstasy when it began to appear a decade later thanks to Ibiza's fledgling rave scene. The drug spread into the provinces, from cities such as London and Manchester, via warehouse parties (subsequently made illegal by the 1990 Entertainments (increased Penalties) Act. Police crackdowns on the drug in 91/92 served only to boost demand. As a result, unscrupulous dealers began to bulk out their supplies with other substances, giving rise to the 'dodgy' e'.
The ecstasy-related death of Leah Betts in 1995 forced the issue of overheating and dehydration into focus (which also unwittingly caused much confusion about drug safety). Contrary to initial reports, Betts wasn't killed by a 'bad' ecstasy tablet, but from pressure on the brain caused by "hyperhydration" - the intake of so much water, so rapidly, that the body can't safely absorb it.
Chemistry
Ecstasy belongs to a group of drugs that are made up primarily from MDA (3-4-methylenedioxyamphetamine). However, street ecstasy tends to be cut with bulking agents and so purity is highly variable. The drug stimulates the central nervous system, but again much depends on the MDMA content of the tablet taken. There is some debate about the long-term impact of ecstasy on neurones in the brain - with particular focus on how it might affect the production of a natural mood enhancer called serotonin.
Production
Most of the E imported into the UK is made in laboratories in Holland. In 2002, the average cost for one pill was £3 compared to £15-25 ten years ago, and this has been linked to a rise in production of the drug. At the same time, the Netherlands National Drug Monitor believe MDMA content has also increased to an average of 70mg per pill. In some cases, however, levels have been recorded at 150-230 mg, which is potentially fatal. Consequently, some users prefer to break up the pill and take it in stages to help gauge the strength of the effects.
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