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| |    Ecstasy and Club Drugs by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed and revised by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. Anyone who follows the news has to be concerned about the rise in so-called club drugs. More and more teens and young adults are using these drugs during all-night dance parties (called raves or trances). Some clearly relish the way these drugs make them feel, but there are serious downsides as well. The risks include brain damage, high-risk sexual activity (which increases chances of exposure to AIDS), and death. Children in grade school aren't using these drugs in any numbers (at least for now). But they certainly are aware of what's going on. Anything that older kids do has a certain cool allure. Because of this, it's important that you know about these drugs, so you can give your children reliable information. Growing use and availability The use of Ecstasy and other club drugs has gone up sharply in the last couple of years. Among 12th-graders, 8 percent report having used Ecstasy in the year 2000, up from 5.6 percent the year before, according to the Monitoring the Future Study. That might not seem like much, but the numbers are higher in urban areas and higher still among college students. What's more, the drugs are becoming increasingly available. In 2000 51 percent of 12th-graders said they could get hold of Ecstasy "easily" or "very easily." That figure was up 11 percent from just the year before and was more than twice as high as in 1989. What follows is a brief rundown on Ecstasy. The information comes mainly from "Club Drugs," a report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), where you can find more details. MDMA or Ecstasy (also called XTC, Adam) MDMA stands for 3-4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. The chemical name tells you that MDMA is closely related to methamphetamine, a common form of "speed" or "uppers." The main effects are similar to speed; it also has hallucinogenic effects. It's usually taken as a pill. On the plus side, people report that the drug makes them feel "at peace," "loving everyone," "trusting." They also have the energy to dance all night long. On the minus side, the uncritical, loving, trusting feeling can lead to risky sexual behavior. Also, the wonderful high that first-time users experience never returns as strongly with repeated use. (This makes sense medically, since the original high is caused by overstimulation of certain brain cells, which consequently destroys them.) Negative feelings of paranoia and high anxiety counterbalance the positives. With repeated use, the person needs the drug just to feel normal. There are serious medical risks as well. Ecstasy sharply raises the heart rate and blood pressure, which can cause strokes. Body temperature can also shoot up, leading to muscle and kidney damage. Teens and young adults have even died because they kept on dancing well past the point of exhaustion and dehydration in the crowded, hot atmosphere of a rave. MDMA kills the brain cells that are central to the processes of attention, memory, analysis, and self-control. However, the damage may be subtle at first. A teen who is wrapped up in the rave scene may only focus on the high and deny that they are taking real risks. Because of the dangers involved, it's crucial that younger children learn about Ecstasy before they face the temptation to try it. More information: Talk about:
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