ECSTASY
AKA: E, pills, doves, smarties
- Pure ecstasy is called MDMA and is a form
of amphetamine. Usually it is not sold as pure powder
but as a tablet made up of MDMA and speed or any other chalky white
substance.
- People build up tolerance to ecstasy so they end up taking more
and more of it, which increases the health risks.
Why do people take
it?
What class is it?
How does it affect the
heart?
What are the
other effects on the body?
What are illegal drugs?
Illegal drugs can damage the brain, heart, and other important
organs. Different drugs affect you in different ways and include
different risks. Here you can find out more about them.
Class A, B or C?
The British government separate the different kinds of illegal
drugs into three different categories. These classes (A, B and C)
carry different levels of penalty for possession and dealing. Drugs
classified ‘A’ have the strongest penalties, drugs classified ‘C’
have the lowest.
(These classes have nothing to do with how strong or dangerous a
drug is – some class ‘C’ drugs can kill you.)
To find out more about the fines and prison sentences you
can get for carrying drugs, go to talktofrank
ECSTASY
Why do people take it?
E's give you a buzzy, happy, energetic feeling. They make you
want to dance and chat.
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What class is it?
A
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How does it affect the heart?
- The main risk to the heart is arrhythmia. There is also a risk of
stroke because an ecstasy tablet is often made by mixing the MDMA
with speed, it can come with all the risks of speed too.
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What are the other
effects on the body?
- People that take ecstasy can suffer from depression, panic
attacks, memory loss and paranoia – paranoia is where you get
totally panicky and think that people are out to get you.
- People who take ecstasy can suffer from psychosis – this is
when you lose touch with reality and become very mentally unwell,
needing urgent psychiatric help.
- People have also died from drinking too much fluid while they
are on ecstasy because when they overheat they can drink too much
water. Their chemical balance then becomes disturbed and they can
go into a coma and die. If you take ecstasy you can also become
dehydrated by drinking too little fluid. It's suggested that you
can reduce risk by sipping no more than a pint of water or
non-alcoholic fluid every hour.
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Useful links
Talk to Frank:
www.talktofrank.com
0800 776600
24 hours a day, every day.
Textphone for people with hearing
difficulties
0800 9178765
Release:
www.release.org.uk
0845 4500 215
help and legal advice line
(open 11am-1pm for drug or legal advice. 2-4pm drugs advice
only)
References
Talk to Frank
(drugs information service)
www.talktofrank.com
0800 776600
Release
(drugs information service)
www.release.org.uk
0845 4500 215
'Cocaine and the Heart'
New England Journal of Medicine 2003
Vol 348:487-488
Kloner.R, Rezkalla.S
Cocaine Abuse: Repolarisation Abnormalities
and Ventricular Arrhythmias. The American Journal of Medical
Science 2000
Vol 320 (1)
Gamouras.G et al