It has become increasingly available nationwide through high school drug networks through purchases made in rave clubs. The tablets often have a design, such as cartoon characters and automobile emblems stamped onto one side. It also causes psychedelic effects similar to mescaline. The effects last between 4-6 hours. Physical effects of the drug include increased heart rate, sweating, muscular tension and cramping, rapid eye movement, dry mouth, teeth grinding and blurred vision.
Users often suck on baby pacifiers to prevent themselves from grinding down their teeth.
They also frequently carry glow lights, as it adds to the visual psychedelic experience. These drugs are popularly, but incorrectly, thought to be not as harmful or as addictive as mainstream drugs such as heroin and cocaine. The drug often leads to severe dehydration and heat stroke, since it has the effect of short-circuiting the body's temperature signals to the brain. The abuse of MDMA as a recreational drug began in the 1980s. In 1985, the Drug Enforcement Agency listed MDMA as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act.