Some of today's heavy users may be burdened with chronic depression later in life. We must be wary of a drug that has the potential of causing long-term brain damage, and this one does. With our tolerant attitudes, we just didn't want to see the danger here until ecstasy had spread everywhere like a virus. A British study demonstrated that use during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Between 1997 and 1998, emergency room mentions of MDMA nearly doubled.
Raves provide open spaces for dancing amid psychedelic lights, video, smoke or fire.
At such clubs, kids have died from overheating due to MDMA, which increases heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Polydrug abuse is common. Lethal combinations include ecstasy with heroin or cocaine. Raves have become way-stations for large purchases of ecstasy that are transported to college campuses, suburban high schools and rural areas of the country. Dutch police estimate the average lab there produces 80,000 tablets per day at less than a guilder per pill, or about 50 U.S. cents.