The Effects and Dangers of the Party Drug MDMA (aka Molly & Ecstasy)

The party drug MDMA became hugely popular on the nightclub scene because of the so-called “euphoric” effects it could induce in users. More commonly known as Ecstasy, and more recently Molly, newer versions of the drug are proving to be more than many users can handle.

What is MDMA?

Typically taken orally, MDMA has long been a drug used and abused on the party scene worldwide. The drug acts as both a stimulant and a psychedelic, and has the reputation of a love druga drug which makes users feel euphoric, that everything is right in the world and often makes them feel extremely affectionate towards other people that they encounter while high. MDMA’s good qualities are often purported to be the main side effects of the drug, and the dangerous side effects of MDMA are often swept under the table.

What Are the Dangers of MDMA?

The dangerous side effects of MDMA are many and often vary from person to person but they can include:

  • Increased heart rate
  • Panic attacks
  • Aggression
  • Paranoia
  • Blurred vision
  • Muscle cramping
  • Dehydration
  • High blood pressure
  • Cardiac failure

These known side effects show that MDMA is not in fact the friendly party drug that many people do not think twice about before indulging in it on a night out. This being said, deaths and overdoses that have been directly linked to pure forms of MDMA are not extremely high, but the drug has started to move in a new direction that has got authority figures extremely concerned.

From MDMA to Dangerous, Synthetic Drugs

In the early 2000s, the drug became known as Ecstasy, which is a form of MDMA, but is typically  cut with other drugs or chemicals such as speed. Ecstasy has proven to be an easier drug to overdose on, and over the last few years, the number of deaths associated with ‘MDMA’ has increased significantly.

Of a higher priority and concern to the authorities however, is the relatively new and emerging drug known as Molly.

What is Molly?

Molly has been marketed as a pure form of MDMA, and even if you run a quick Google search on the word “Molly”, you will come up with the same claims. Many people who take the drug believe that it is the pure form of MDMA and many also believe that Molly is less dangerous than MDMA, and cleaner than Ecstasy. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

A report released by the DEA showed that over the last four years, only 13% of Molly seized in New York City actually had any form of MDMA in it. And, when it did, it was often cut with a plethora of other drugs and chemicals. Molly is often made up of a dangerous concoction of synthetic drugs that are not tried or tested, and  vary in strength from batch to batch, a proven cause of accidental overdose in users as no user can be sure of what they are actually taking.

Some of the most common chemicals that make up the drug include: Methylone, MDPV, 4-MEC, 4-MMC, Pentedrone and MePP. Tests have also shown that the drug has been mixed with bath salts, methamphetamines, cocaine and various opiates. This not only means that users hardly ever get actual MDMA, but it also increases the risk of drug addiction and overdose.

What are the Dangers and Effects of Molly?

Over the last few years there have been an alarming number of deaths that have resulted from Molly use and overdose. In 2013 the massive electronic music festival, Electronic Zoo, cancelled its last day due to the deaths of two people who had ingested Molly. Jeffrey Rush and Olivia Rotondo both succumbed to high temperatures, and collapsed.

Throughout the world, not just in the US, there have been horror stories surfacing of hospitalisation, and deaths as a direct result of Molly. These include six deaths in a club in Ireland, numerous overdoses and deaths in the UK and the hospitalisation of nearly a dozen students from Weslayan University in Connecticut.

The real dangers of this drug come from the mismatch of chemicals and the doses that are found in it. When users take the drug, they have absolutely no idea what they are putting into their bodies and how much of it they are taking. This is an easy way for users to overdose, as the room for error in calculating how much you are ingesting is massive when you are unsure what is in the drug itself.

What Can be Done to Try and Curb the Growing Trend?

These drugs are largely marketed to school age kids and it is important to start education on the drug at this age. A shift needs to be made in the schooling system whereby we should not simply tell the youth to “say no”, as this is clearly not having the intended effect. Programmes need to be implemented where adolescents are taught about the real dangers and the harmful side effects of these drugs – and how to handle someone who appears to have overdosed.

However, in Ohio, we have seen a shift towards this sort of thinking, and a bill has recently been passed at state level that plans to include the serious effects and dangers of these kinds of drugs in the school curriculum. It is hoped that many more states will start to adopt this stance and start to see the importance of drug education and prevention at an early stage.

Molly is one of the fastest emerging drug problems in Western culture, and it looks like this trend will continue for some time to come. At The Cabin, we hope that education makes people more aware of Molly’s dangers, resulting in a decline of deaths and serious negative health effects created by this drug. Understanding the truth about harmful drugs is the best way to combat their abuse and negative effects.

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