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Section TitleTobacco, Drugs & Alcohol
  • Drug Use & Abuse
    • Club & Date Rape Drugs
      • Chloral Hydrate
      • Ecstasy
      • Fentanyl
      • Ketamine
      • Oxycodone
      • Rohypnol
      • ?-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)
    Main content

    Ecstasy

    • What is ecstasy?
    • Street Names
    • How is it taken?
    • What are the effects?
    • What are the dangers?
    • Is it addictive?

    What is ecstasy?

    • Ecstasy is the chemical methyldioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA.
    • MDMA is a synthetic substance that has both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.

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    Street Names

    "X," "E," "XTC," "MDMA," "love drug," "hug drug" or "Adam."

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    How is it taken?

    • Ecstasy comes in pill form or liquid form "Liq.X."
    • It is taken orally.

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    What are the effects?

    Physical effects:

    • Ecstasy is a stimulant.
    • It lasts four to six hours.
    • It increases heart rate and blood pressure.
    • It causes muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, feeling faint, tremors, rapid eye movement, and sweating or chills.
    Mental effects:
    • It creates feelings of euphoria, empathy and altered social perceptions.
    • It causes heightened sense of awareness.
    • It causes feelings of increased empathy or emotional closeness to others.
    • It induces a state characterized as "excessive talking" (loquacity).

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    What are the dangers?

    • Anxiety.
    • Hyperthermia.
    • Memory loss.
    • Cognitive impairment.
    • Respiratory distress.
    • Psychological dependency.
    • Physical exertion (such as rave partying) that can lead to heat exhaustion.
    • Long-term neurochemical and brain cell damage.
    • Illegal to possess in the United States.

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    Is it addictive?

    Repeated use of ecstasy can produce dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Several studies have shown that users of ecstasy may develop addiction.
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    Teen couple
    Sources:
    Below are links PAMF accessed when researching this topic. PAMF does not sponsor or endorse any of these sites, nor does PAMF guarantee the accuracy of the information contained on them.

    NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Created with the help and advice of teens, presents information on the science behind drug abuse and has animated illustrations, quizzes, and games.

    NIDA InfoFacts: MDMA (Ecstasy). National Institute on Drug Abuse.

    Drug Descriptions: MDMA (Ecstasy). U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

    Street Terms: Ecstasy (MDMA). Office of National Drug Control Policy.

    Drug Facts: MDMA (Ecstasy). Office of National Drug Control Policy.
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