The drugs you see in the headlines are heroin, painkillers, and marijuana but ecstasy (MDMA) is still harming and even killing our teens and young adults, making it vital to remind active and mobile youth of the damage this strong stimulant can cause.
Ecstasy is a popular party and music event drug. The full name of the drug is 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine so it may be referred to as MDMA. Its other nickname – ecstasy – is a clever allusion to the false sense of empathy and affinity this drug gives you for other people.
At nightclubs, dance clubs and all kinds of music festivals, ecstasy is in ample supply. Actually, there will be some ecstasy and many pills masquerading as ecstasy but in fact containing some other synthetic drug or even cocaine, ketamine or methamphetamine. Any of these stimulants can cause life-threatening effects, but even pure ecstasy, which many partygoers think is “safe,” can cause injury and death.
Despite Warnings, Deaths Still Occur
Not a single summer goes by that we don’t read stories of young people being harmed or even killed by ecstasy. In May 2015, Shane Zimmardi passed out under the bleachers of a Tacoma, Washington music venue after taking ecstasy. He died four days later.
In 2010, fifteen-year-old Sasha Rodriguez died from her exposure to MDMA at the Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles. This music festival was moved out of LA County and into the Las Vegas area after this incident. At that new venue, 24-year-old Austin Tom died from ecstasy intoxication on June 21, 2015.
Ecstasy usually kills by causing a person to become severely overheated. An ecstasy user’s perception of music and movement are changed, compelling them to dance for hours without noticing they are becoming dehydrated. Indoor venues sometimes offer chilling rooms and cold water to prevent overheating but not everyone knows to take advantage of these resources. Other venues offer no such support. A person’s fever can spike to 107 degrees, causing organ breakdown. Death follows.
Sometimes all it takes is one pill. One careless moment. One decision. And a young life can be changed forever or even ended.
Ecstasy and Suicide
Overheating is not the only way ecstasy kills. The use of ecstasy has been found to be associated with thoughts of suicide or attempted suicide. When individuals spend the weekend partying with ecstasy, they often hit a serious low midweek, so low that they consider suicide. Some people begin using ecstasy all week long to prevent this crash.
A young man in England had been using marijuana and ecstasy to cope with academic stress but finally managed to stop. He then went out with friends on Friday night and consumed some ecstasy while out partying. By Monday, felt unwell and reported himself sick to his college. His body was found after he ended his life on a riverbank. The only drug in his body at that time was traces of MDMA.
Ecstasy Addiction Can Ruin a Life
One beautiful young woman told the story of how she loved to go to clubs on the weekend. Once she was there, a man would offer her ecstasy. As soon as the drug took hold, she thought she loved the man. “He was ‘the one,’” she said. He’d take her away somewhere so they could have sex. When the drug wore off, she swore she’d never do that again. But the next weekend, she’d be right back and the clubs, going through the same experience. She was finally able to break this pattern before it was too late and recovered her ability to live a happy, productive life at a Narconon drug rehab center.
These days, many teens have cars, money, and mobility. Before they take off for music festivals or nightclubs, parents should instruct them on the safety of partying sober. These young people should also know to take their friends to the closest emergency room if they show signs of serious distress.
The Narconon drug education curriculum includes important video segments and lessons on Ecstasy. These segments are very comprehensive, covering key information on media influences, how drugs affect the mind, correcting social norms and perception of risk, while also driving home the short and long-term consequences of using Ecstasy. For more information on this impacting educational curriculum visit https://www.drugeducationprogram.com/curriculum/high-school/
Xtasy the Real Story | |
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Drugs and the Media | Drugs and the Mind |