Health Project. Ecstasy and it's affects on the user

1. Ecstasy and its Affects
By: Sam Ruder
Hattendorf
Health

2. Brief History of the Drug
 First founded in the early 1900s, around 1913, in Germany.
 It was supposedly created to be used as a diet pill, but no
one is for certain that that was the intended use or a myth.
 Around 1953, the US tried using the drug as a truth serum.
 It was a very controversial drug that many argued “caused
damage into the brains of rats, so it may happen to humans”
while others argued the opposite.
 In 1993, the FDA approved it and it became the first
psychoactive drug approved for human testing.

3. How Does the Body Come Into
Contact With it?
There are actually multiple ways in which someone can have
Ecstasy enter their body.
 Orally: swallowed in pill form. (This is the most common way
on taking it)
 Snorted: first crushed into a fine powder before snorting in
through the nose.
 Injected: through needles.
 Suppository: can be taken by placing it through the rectum.

4. Different Names “Street Names”
Although the proper term for Ecstasy is MDMA, which stands
for Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, there are other
terms, or street names for this particular drug including:
 Molly
 Love Drug
 Skittles
 Vitamin X
 Doves
 E-Bombs
 Scooby Snacks

5. Classification of Ecstasy and Other
Drugs
 There are four different classifications of drugs: A,B,C,& D.
 Classification A drugs are the ones that could cause the most
harm and have the biggest consequences when found in
possession of these drugs. Class A drugs include:
ecstasy, heroin, crack, LSD, and some amphetamines.
 Classification B-d drugs are the ones that slightly less
harmful and each classification lowers in the amount of risk
one has while taking a particular drug and also decreases the
amount of consequences that come with possession of the
drug.

6. What is Found in Ecstasy?
The drug is usually created by dealers in makeshift labs, not by
actual professionals or in state of the art labs.
 The most common substance found in the drug is rat
poison, but there are other harmful chemicals you may not be
aware of including:
 LSD- a hallucinogen.
 Amphetamines- a chemical that helps speed up your nervous
system causing hyperactivity.
 Ketamine- an anesthetic (causes you to go numb).
 Atropine- helps produce the relaxation of muscles in the
lining of the intestines.

7. Consequences: Physically
After taking Ecstasy, it only takes 20 minutes for it to take
affect on your physical health. Ecstasy can cause:
 Dry Mouth
 Dilatation of the pupils
 Tremors
 The chills
 Restlessness
 Loss of appetite
 A dramatic change in body temp. either high or low
 Internal damage, especially towards the stomach and
intestines

8. Consequences:
Mentally/Emotionally
Ecstasy doesn’t only take a toll on your physical health, but on
your mental health as well as your emotions. This mind altering
drug can affect you mentally including:
 Delusions/ hallucinations
 Impaired sense of depth perception
 Impaired judgment
 Panic attacks
 Lesions in the brain
 Psychosis
 Memory Loss
 Anxiety

9. Consequences: Socially
Socially, drugs can not just affect you, but your family and
friends. Drug abuse can lead to:
 Broken or strained relationships with family and friends
 This doesn’t always happen, but drug abuse does have a
correlation with crime
 Violence
 Financial problems
 Failure in education
 Abuse
 Problematic home conditions

10. Consequences: Legally
Ecstasy first became illegal in the United States in the 1980s.
Now, getting caught with this drug can lead to many
consequences. Since it is classified as a class A drug, the
consequences may/ do include:
 A maximum of 6 years in prison
 Minimum of 15-30 days in jail
 Some who are caught with ecstasy, but have no previous
conviction of any sort may not be jailed, but sent into an
abuse treatment facility for a short amount of time.
 A fine of $500-$750,000 depending on how much was in your
possession and if you were either selling or using it yourself

11. Effects on the: Nervous System
Short Term Effects:
 Slight amage to the
norepinephrine, serotonin,
and dopamine levels.
 Impaired memory
 Short attention span
Long Term Effects:
 Seizures
 Permanent damage to the
norepinephrine, serotonin,
and dopamine neurons and
transmitters
 Depression

12. Effects on the: Cardiovascular
System
Short Term Effects:
 Produces large amount of
glucose in the body
 Blood burns more sugar
Long Term Effects:
 Damaged
arteries, nerves, organs, an
d vessels
 Diabetes (possibly)
 High blood pressure

13. Effects on the: Respiratory System
Short Term Effects:
 Sudden rise or drop in body
temperature which can lead
to heatstroke
 More need of oxygen
 Increased metabolism
Long Term Effects:
 Fluid in the lungs
 Change in the chemistry of
your blood

14. Effects on the: Digestive System
Short Term Effects:
 Abdominal pain
 Rectal bleeding
Long Term Effects:
 Affects the creation of
stomach in acid (stomach
acid reflex)
 Gas reflex
 Vascular complications

15. Possible Medical Uses?
Since ecstasy is classified as a Class A drug, the US
government does not consider ecstasy a type of medicine.
However, there have been studies showing that ecstasy helps
reduce:
 Chronic Pain in terminally ill (cancer) patients
 Allergies
 Anxiety in PTSD patients
 Fear and stress in Psychotherapy
While ecstasy does help reduce anxiety while helping patients
stay alert, there are still many studies being conducted to
determine if the risks outweigh the cons of using this drug as
medicine or vice versa.

16. Mixing it With Alcohol and Other
Drugs
 Alcohol and Ecstasy both cause sudden changes in body
temperature which can lead to heatstroke
 Alcohol is a sedative in contrast to Ecstasy which is a
stimulant. This can be fatal as it can cause irregular
heartbeats.
 Dehydration
 Coma
 Kidney and liver failure
 Profuse bleeding
 Mental impairment

17. Effects on Family and Society
 Financial problems
 Broken or strained relationships
 Poor living conditions
 Poor education
 Violence
 Crime
 Abuse
 Isolation
The addiction or use of ecstasy not only affects you, but the loved
ones around you and you community. Would you take the risk?

18. Works Cited
 http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/ecstasy.html
 http://kidshealth.org/kid/grow/drugs_alcohol/know_drugs_ecs
tasy.html
 http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_
Education/alcohol,_tobacco,_&_other_drugs/ecstasy.php
 http://drugabuse.com/library/ecstasy-abuse/
 http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/mdma-ecstasy-
abuse/mdma-addictive