In recent years, trendy club drugs have emerged out of the margins of society — from the rave scene, clubland and the urban underground — into mainstream society. Topping the list of amphetamines, hallucinogens and other illicit drugs included under the broad category lawmakers refer to as “club drugs” is the drug MDMA, known popularly as Ecstasy.
Ecstasy, a psychoactive substance with stimulant and mild hallucinogenic properties, was first synthesized and patented in 1913 by the German drug company Merck.
Little is known about the original applications of the drug; however, drug folklore claims it was originally sold as a diet pill. In the 1970s, before the drug was outlawed, it was used on a limited basis to assist in psychotherapy.
Ecstasy did not become popular for recreational use until the late 1980s, appearing first in European clubs and gaining popularity in the exploding rave scene in Europe in the 1990s.
Ecstasy’s appeal spread quickly in the United States but only recently entered mainstream society. Its growing popularity has many legislators and parents clamoring for action.
The drug hit the spotlight locally following the 1999 death of a Madison teenager after a rave and the 2000 arrest of a Madison man who had over 1,100 Ecstasy tablets in his bedroom, while admitting to the sale of over 3,000 doses over the previous two weeks.
“We must develop a cooperative community response to battling these dangerous drugs,” a statement by Attorney General Jim Doyle announced. “Continued efforts to educate our children about the dangers of drug use, additional resources for law enforcement agencies and developing working relationships among public safety and health agencies must continue if we are to be successful in our battle against the use of methamphetamines and ecstasy,” the statement continued.
Responding to the increased threat of ecstasy use, late last year the Senate granted U.S. Senator Herb Kohl’s request for $250,000 for the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance to combat use of the drug.
“As drugs pose new challenges and dangers to our communities, law enforcement needs all the resources it can to help cut off the drugs at their source. I’m pleased we’re one step closer to making this a statewide effort,” Kohl said in a release following the funding approval.
While police and lawmakers scramble to take action, it is unclear whether their efforts have produced any immediate results. In fact, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the number of Ecstasy cases submitted to the crime lab for analysis has increased from 80 in 2000 to 239 last year.
While the rising popularity of the drug has puzzled many lawmakers, there is little doubt as to its benefits, according to personal testimonials on any of the dozens of websites devoted to Ecstasy users.
In one chat room, the drug is credited with everything from helping one user find “true love” to helping another “communicate with dead relatives.” On some websites, Milwaukee- and Madison-area users rate different types of Ecstasy and describe the “roll,” or high, they get from the drug.
“I feel happy, warm ? everything feels and sounds better,” explained one user, writing under the handle The New Man. “I have found that on ‘E’ I can make the world whatever I want it to be.”
As appealing as the claims of the drug’s effects are, whether exaggerated or not, the National Institute on Drug Abuse claims the real popularity lies in the perception that Ecstasy is a “fun drug” with no negative consequences.
One UW student, confirming the NIDA’s concerns, believed there were no proven negative side effects from Ecstasy use.
“I have never tried it before, but I probably will sometime,” said the UW senior. “It isn’t like most of the other harder drugs — it’s not dangerous like the others.”
Alan Leshner, the director of NIDA, dispelled this myth and pointed out both the immediate threat of dehydration, hypertension and heart attack as well as the potential long-term health consequences.
“Research shows these drugs can have long-lasting negative effects on the brain that can alter memory and other behaviors,” Leshner said. “There is now a large body of evidence that links heavy and prolonged MDMA use to confusion, depression, sleep problems, persistent elevation of anxiety, aggressive and impulsive behavior and selective impairment of some working memory and attention processes.”
