If the 'gateway' theory is true there should be far more heroin users in this country. Research has shown that regular heavy alcohol use, particularly during the early teens, is the strongest predictor of future heroin use. Ecstasy is a street term for a number of substances that are related to MDMA or methylendioxymethamphetamine. The drug can contain a wide variety of amphetamine-related substances including MDEA, MDA or in the worse case scenario, PMA, the substance linked to the ecstasy deaths in Adelaide. Ecstasy is made by backyard chemists and as a consequence the quality of the drug varies greatly.
Rumours often circulate that some ecstasy tablets are laced with heroin.
Some users call these smacky e's, normally due to the pulling down feeling that some people experience when they take them. Most ecstasy users would not have the slightest idea what heroin would feel like to use. Over time, the term smacky e has been used to describe any ecstasy that does not give the user the uplifting effect they were seeking. Heroin, and other illicit drugs are expensive so it would seem uneconomical for a manufacturer to include these drugs in the 'recipe'. It is far more likely that the user will buy a tablet containing caffeine or paracetamol.