nt of Ecstasy being used by High School students in 1999 and 2000. Results showed that Ecstasy use increased from 1.7 percent to 3.1 percent among 8th graders, from 4.4 percent to 5.4 percent among 10th graders, and from 5.6 percent to 8.2 percent among 12th graders (MDMA 2). A study conducted by the Community Epidemology Work Group (CEWG) has also reported that MDMA is the most prominent stimulant used in Chicago, and it is the drug of choice among white middle class young adults in Washington D.C.. The most startling fact, however, is that tablets seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration has increased from 13,342 in 1996 to 949,257 in 2000 (MDMA 2). An increase of this magnitude in such a short amount of time has researchers worried, and scrambling to find information on the potential risks of the drug.MDMA, or 3-4 methylene-dioxymethamphetimine, is defined as being a “synthetic psychoactive drug with both stimulant (amphetamine-like) and hallucinogenic (LSD-like) properties” (MDMA 1). MDMA is similar to amphetamines in respect to physiological symptoms induced by the drug, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, dilation of bronchial tubes of the lungs (ironically helping asthma), dilated pupils, and increased blood flow to muscle tissue (Kuhn 72). Its similarity to LSD occurs in the effect that it has on mood, creating a relaxed feeling within the user and often a distorted perception of time. “Most users cite a dramatic drop in defense mechanisms and an increased empathy toward others. Combined with the stimulant effect, this generally produces an increase in intimate communication.”(Beck 10). One user has described the experience as “the most amazing feeling in the world. It makes you want to touch everybody and be touched by everybody. When you’re in a club and they are playing good music, it becomes the best music you’ve heard in your life” (Mackeen 1). T...
