Ectasy

        What was Ecstasy initially envisioned as?

-  Ecstasy, formally known as the “hug drug”, was a synthetic chemical compound which was initially used as a psycho-pharmacy treatment. Ecstasy was used to alleviate symptoms that corresponded with many disorders including PTSD. Alexander Shulgin believed it was, “a window in order to view the world as it really was.” The drug did not change people’s perceptions but changes the feeling tone and quality, by reducing the fear of anxiety provoking thoughts. Kathy Tamm was a rape victim who used the drug in order to function properly and connect again with her family.

         Do you find this surprising? In what settings was it utilized?

-  I do not find this surprising. Dr. Shulgin made a good point when he stated that the information on a drug should be open knowledge to know the benefits as well as negative effects drugs have for those looking to use it. Before Ecstasy was regulated many therapists used this drug to help with treatment of their patients. The drug usage was widely varied from medical usage, social gatherings and also parties. MDMA was in fact useful. Millions of users have stated that it helped with self development.

        

         Where and when did it first become prominent as a recreational substance?

     

- Ecstasy began its rise in Dallas Texas during the early 1980’s. Ecstasy became a recreational substance almost overnight. It was widely used during parties and nightclubs. Users ranged from “house wives to urban cowboys.”  Stark nightclub in downtown Dallas was potentially one of the beginning settings which proved to have a high consumer rate of Ecstasy users.

       How does this type of use differ from its intended use?

            - This type of use differed from its intended use because instead of being used for medical treatment, it was now being used to increase sensory experiences and as an artificial recreational enhancement. Ecstasy was a very high in demand drug and since medical drugs are usually prescribed, the DEA wanted to step in reduce the potential harm to the public (so they claimed).

        Why is it referred to as the hug drug?

                             

                  - Ecstasy was referred to as the hug drug because it provided very positive feelings towards one another. You willfully want to have conversations with strangers and the drug has characteristics make persons very touchy-feely.

       How harmful is the drug, relative to other illegal and legal substances?

     

                  - Ecstasy was not a very harmful drug. Proper hydration can keep the user from dehydration as well as body temperature regulation. Compared to the other schedule I drugs, excluding marijuana, MDMA pose no real short term harmful effects. The DEA just wanted a reason to ban use because it can be widely manufactured and distributed. Once it became illegal, criminals began to cut MDMA with other potentially harmful drugs because of its lessened availability. It is now more difficult to compare whether Ecstasy is harmful or not because the street version is likely to include harmful components. A longitudinal study would have to be conducted in order to see the true effects of pure MDMA over time.

         

         How were the initial studies of the drug’s negative effects “flawed?”

                  - NIDA led the government response to Ecstasy. The postcard portraying your brain before and after Ecstasy was a false representation on the effects of the drug. The research concluded that users can lose up to 85% of serotonin function. Each of these researchers conducted were funded by government profits. This propaganda effort has had an effect on potential users. The faulty data includes Dr. Ricaurtes serotonin analysis. Also Dr. Ricaurte could not be sure his subjects actually took the drug because he never tested hair. Another flaw in the studies was that some brains have 40x more serotonin levels than others.

               What is harm reduction?  What is the harm reduction strategy most commonly associated with Ecstasy?

  - Harm reduction refers to the implementing of public health policies used to decrease the harmful effects commonly associated with recreational drug consumption. Harm reduction is put forward as a useful perspective alongside the more conventional approaches of demand and supply control. Once a substance has become unavailable, many criminals begin to increase profit margins by lacing Ecstasy with more harmful drugs including heroin or PCP. By making the drug illegal, the government may actually be causing more harm because of the uncertainty of pure MDMA. I am totally against public health policies and am a strong believer in not controlling what goes into one’s body.  Dr. Shulgin had the philosophy to make information on drugs available in order to educate those who are looking to experiment with it.  Placing Ecstasy on the schedule I list of narcotics is asinine of the government and could have had less of an urgent approach.