Critics call it the scourge of generation y, and users tout it as nirvana in a pill.
Both could be right. Scientist, political pundits, cops, and users all have varying theories about the danger ecstasy poses, and all of them are willing to talk about it endlessly. Romano, who founded the New England chapter of DanceSafe in 1995, says that up to 50 percent of the pills at any given party are bunk, forcing users to deal with the likelihood that they'll ingest an adulterant such as DXM, PMA or Ketamine, all of which pose extremely real dangers. DXM is a chemical found in cough syrup that can inhibit sweating, causing dancers at hot, all-night raves to literally overheat. PMA is the substance officials blame for the death of three Chicago area teenagers last year who thought they were dosing e.