The Use Of Ecstasy

Submitted By Plugger879
Words: 6663
Pages: 27

Illicit Drug use – Ecstasy
Part 1 – Description of the Issue
What is Ecstasy?
Methylene DioxyMethAmphetamine (MDMA) also known as Ecstasy is one of the most prevalent drugs on the streets at the present time, as is rapidly growing at a very alarming rate. It is a drug made from a heap of different chemicals, to create this one dangerous and very powerful drug. Ecstasy contains two main things, amphetamines and some hallucinogens. Amphetamines are a stimulant that makes the brain speed up to a ridiculous rate and the does the same to the central niveous system. Hallucinogens are drugs that make you hallucinate, hence the name hallucinogens. It makes you see, feel, taste, smell things that do not necessarily exist. There are many names that this drug comes under when they are being sold on the streets; these include, eccy’s, E, XTC, googs, MDMA and Pinger’s just to name a few.
Ecstasy is a drug that is usually made illegally and comes in a few different forms, including small tablets in various sizes and colours. It can also come in powder form to be inhaled through the nose (snorted). It is not common but there are the odd occasions that some people inject ecstasy straight into the blood stream like heroin for example, to have an immediate effect.

There are many effects of Ecstasy that make the brain send abnormal massages to the rest of the body to make it do things that it usually wouldn’t do. These are classified as the side effects of E. Not only taking Ecstasy is something that a human shouldn’t do, it’s the amounts that a person consumes. The effects by taking small amounts and large amounts are as followed:
Small amounts
When you take small amounts of Ecstasy it can usually last for 1-6 hours depending on the amount you have consumed. To last 1 hour it would be 1 pill and to last 6 hours you would have to consume possibly 2-3 pills for it to last that long. When you take large amount of Ecstasy in one short period of time the pills would usually last to around 6-10 hours. For Ecstasy to last this long a human being would need to consume 3-6 tablets. When you take small amounts of E, there are many symptoms that you may experience whilst the drug is in the body, these include: * your heart beats faster * your blood pressure rises * your body temperature rises * you sweat more * your body loses moisture (dehydration) * you grind your teeth or clench your jaw * you feel sick in the stomach (nausea).

Large Amounts
When a human being consumes large amounts of E, there a couple more symptoms that they will possibly experience apart from the other’s above, these more extreme symptoms include: * see, smell, hear or feel things that are not there (have hallucinations) * feel as though you are floating * behave strangely - do or say things you normally would not * have a fit * vomit
Although Ecstasy has various short term effects on the body and the brain, the long term effects turn out to be much worse than some people expect. The greatest long term effect that is most concerning is the damage it does to some of the vital organs including the brain, heart and liver; especially the liver because it is the organ than takes care of all the waste within the body. If you are a frequent user of Ecstasy you begin to create a tolerance level within the body, so that you can act semi-normal with the drug in your system. It also means that you need to consume more of the drug the you usually would for it to have any type of effect on the body. It has been noted from scientist that have analysed Ecstasy users that the more E a human consumes, the more unpleasant experiences you have and the pleasant experiences whilst taking it begin to decrease.
Overdosing is another issue that is very common with users of the prohibited drug Ecstasy. A death via overdosing is the most common way that a person will die if they use Ecstasy excessively. You can’t die by taking too much