Ecstasy

Ecstasy is also known as MDMA, which stands for Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. This drug is a stimulant similar to amphetamine that affects the central nervous system. The "love drug" creates a feeling of connectedness with others, making this drug very popular with shy, insecure individuals. Confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia have been reported to occur even weeks after the drug is taken. Ecstasy can be ingested orally, smoked, snorted, or injected. The effects can last from four to six hours, creating a hyper-excitable euphoric feeling. A hangover can last from one to two days. A user will appear nervous and may display signs of eye-twitching or teeth-grinding. While using ecstasy, a person may engage in non-stop dancing, ignoring the body’s need for water. Dehydration can lead to heat strokes, kidney failure, or heart attack. An ecstasy tablet can run from $20 to $25. Street names for ecstasy include XTC, X, and Rolls. A user may say ‘I am rolling’ to indicate they are using ecstasy. The term refers to the eyes rolling back in the head when using ecstasy.

Drug dealers also use Paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA) to produce Ecstasy because it is cheaper to manufacture than the chemical compound MDMA. PMA is known as "death" and "mitsubishi double stack". Using PMA may increase internal body temperature to as high as 108° F, and has been responsible for many deaths. Due to the drugs’ similarities, buyers and sellers are frequently unaware if they possess PMA or Ecstasy.