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Methylenedioxymethamphetamine - Coggle Diagram
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Common Street Names
Estasy
MDMA
Molly
Mandy
Crystal
Physical Qualities
What is it Made of?
A synthetic manmade drug
No medical use
→ it is
illegal
to
manufacture
→ it is produced in
illegal labs
without safety standards
.
Primarily manufactured in illicit laboratories in
Canada
and
the Netherlands
yet some laboratories have been identified in the
United States
.
The
ingredients
often vary yet
always
contain
illegal substances
.
Most commonly contain
isosafrole
and
MDP2P
(Methylenedioxyphenylpropan-2-one)
Can come in
pill
or
powder
form
Called
MDMA
(its chemical name) when in
powder
form
Pills can be
white
,
colored
,
round
,
square
or pressed into
any shape
.
Some have
designs
stamped
onto them.
Powder looks like
white or grey crystals
.
Recovery
Withdrawal symptoms can be unpredictable as ecstasy is usually used with other drugs.
Medical detox centers are the safest way to recover.
Patients can be kept as inpatients or outpatients.
Relapse can be dangerous as the user's tolerance will have decreased which puts them at a greater risk of overdose.
Patients may be given antidepressants.
Typically, by two weeks, most symptoms would have subsided.
Initial Primary Effects
Duration
Can take 20 - 60+ minutes to kick in yet usually takes 30 minutes.
Users feel high for 2 to 4 hours.
Mind
(Mental)
Positive
Energized and alert
Feel love and affection for people they are with.
Extremely happy (which prompts the name "Ecstasy")
Decreased Inhibitions
Negative
Anxiety
Paranoia
Panic Attacks
Body
(Physical)
Dilated pupils
Tingling
Tendency to tighten or move jaw muscles
Increased body temperature
Increased heartbeat and nausea
Causes an increased chance of overheating and dehydration.
Can prompt the body to release a hormone which stops making urine.
Drinking a large quantity of water quickly, the water could affect the body's natural salt balance.
Legal Penalties
Considered a
Class A drug
(Under the UK Law)
Illegal to
have
,
give away
or
sell
.
Possession
→ up to
7 years in prison
and/or an
unlimited fine
.
Supplying
→
life in prison
and/or an
unlimited fine
.
Driving under the influence
→ a
heavy fine
,
driving ban
, or
prison sentence
.
If people are caught by the police
supplying illegal drugs
in a
home
,
hostel
,
club
or
bar
→ can
prosecute
the
landlord
,
club owner
or
any person related to the management of the premise
.
How it is Taken into the Body
Ecstasy pills
are
swallowed
MDMA
is
rubbed
into the user's
gums
Tastes
bitter
Long-term Effects
Body
(Physical)
Linked to liver, kidney and heart damage.
Increased tendency of colds and sore throats.
Impacts the body's temperature control.
Damage to brain cells
Damage to the brain's serotonin center.
Decreased concentration
Increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections.
Mind
(Mental)
Can cause memory problems
Increased risk of depression
Increased risk of anxiety
Statistics
According to the
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
, over
17 million Americans
have ever used ecstasy (2013).
The
NSDUH
found that
12.8%
of
18-25 year olds
have tried it making it the age group with the highest rate.
An approximate 0.6% of 8th graders, 0.7% of 10th graders, and 1.4% of 12th graders have used MDMA (2022).
In the last decade, the teen use of MDMA has decreased yet the overall population's rate has not.
According to the CDC, around 23% of all drug overdose deaths involved psychostimulants such as ecstasy (2019).
There are very few overdose deaths in which ecstasy was the sole drug involved.
Around 1.2% of ecstasy users globally visited the emergency room due to drug use.
Environmental Impacts
Chemical Waste
Producing a kilogram of pure MDMA causes 10 kilograms of toxic waste.
E.g. sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acids and acetone.
The waste would usally have to be disposed using protective suits.
Approximately 7000 tons of hazardous waste was either leaked into the ground and rivers or dumped somewhere in an oil drums.
These hazardous substances are extremely corrosive.
During an experiment in which a chicken leg was submerged into a sodium hydroxide solution, after merely two days, just the bone was left behind with the meat completely dissolved.
The waste is sometimes emptied into containers which are used to collect cattle excrement to be spread on corn crops. This leads to residue of ecstasy on the crops.
Moreover, the waste finds its way into groundwater and habitats.
