Ecstasy Essay Example For Students

Ecstasy Essay Ecstasy Chemically, ecstasy is known asmethylene-dioxymethamphetamine or MDMA. It falls between two major categories ofdrugs, hallucinogens and amphetamines. Ecstasy usually comes in the form of asmall tablet. In 1914, MDMA was first used as a prescription drug to reduceappetite. However it wasnt until 1981 when American youths first startedusing it as a recreational drug. It was completely legal in the US until 1985when it was added to the banned list. It was about the same time that the drugbecame illegal that its popularity had increased. Ecstasy had spread with thespread of dance clubs and the dance culture. Since 1981 when the drug was firstused until now, 19 years later it is estimated that one and half millionEs are taken every weekend. The reason that ecstasy and danceclubs go hand in hand is the effect it has on the body. After the initialconsumption of the pill it takes about twenty minutes to an hour to feel theeffects. Initial effects include dry mouth, dilated pupils, an d tinglingsensations. Most users feel an initial rush kind of like havingbutterflies in your stomach and tingling which is followed by afeeling of a warm euphoric or excited glow which lasts about four to six hoursduring this time the user feels calm and happy. Generally most users have a goodexperience, but there is still a chance of having a bad trip.Because of the fact that the drug heightens your mood and feelings if you takeit when you are worried or distracted by something it could cause a badexperience. Like any other drug ecstasy has many physical side effects inaddition to the emotional ones. Side effects include impaired co-ordination,loss of appetite, dehydration, and a rise in the users heart rate. Ecstasy isalso said to inhibit or restrain an orgasm and prevent an erection in some men. However, most women feel more in control of their sexuality and find that thedrug helps to induce an orgasm more readily. Some women have also found that thedrug can cause their period to become irregular or to stop completely, whileothers found that their periods became heavier and longer. Another mental oremotional effect that the drug has on the body is that it will cause the user tofeel depressed or moody during the days following the use, this is due to thefact that when you take the drug it releases chemicals in your body which takeseveral days to reproduce. Well, we know what the drug does, but what exactly isit. Ecstasy is chemically supposed to contain MDMA, which consists of oxygen,carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen. However, most ecstasy contains little or no MDMAand is laced with other amphetamines or hallucinogens like speed, LSD, caffeine,ephedrine, ketamine, and many over the counter or prescribed pain killers. Nomatter what is in it it generally always comes in the form o f a white pill whichbasically looks like an aspirin, or it may have pictures printed on them. Justrecently I heard talk of a new kind that comes in the shape of a shamrock. Regardless of what it looks like you can still not determine its contentswithout running tests. Ecstasy is commonly said to be a safe drug,very few talk about bad trips, and only about 50 deaths were ecstasyrelated last year, which is slim in comparison to other drug related deaths. From my former knowledge of the drug and the research that I have done I amgoing to conclude in saying that like any other drug ecstasy has its pros andcons, but what I have found is that the cons out weigh the pros. The biggestnegative being that it is illegal, is it really worth a few hours of pleasure ifyou get caught?Bibliographyhttp://ibbserver.ibb.uu.nl/~jboschma/ecstasy/xtc21 http://usda/amph/ecstasy