Ecstasy-Still Alive and Well at the Club Scenes.

Ecstasy-Still alive and well at the Club Scenes.

Still hot and heavy in the club scenes, Club Drugs have made their way into mainstream America's schools and colleges. Albeit taking a backseat to the better-known names of Heroin and Crack Cocaine, Club Drugs have still survived many pressures put on them by the authorities to minimize their use.

One of the more popular Club Drugs of today is Ecstasy. Chemically known as M.D.M.A., Ecstasy was actually developed in 1912 at the German pharmaceutical company Merck. The researchers discovered the substance while searching for drug that would help to stop bleeding. Although M.D.M.A. did not fit that initial need, some of the Merck researchers believed it could become useful as an "intermediate" chemical, meaning that it could be used in research on other drugs that Merck wished to develop.

Unfortunately, Ecstasy contains some of he same chemicals that make up the drug mescaline, a hallucinogenic substance that causes some of those same "trips" that LSD causes. Drinking alcohol along with taking Ecstasy (better known as "boosting" in the club scene) can be extremely dangerous, as the combination flushes out fluids from the body leaving the individual excessively dehydrated.

Ecstasy can have some dramatic effects on the users neurotransmitters. Serotonin is the main neurotransmitter that is affected. Serotonin plays an important role in regulating an individual's mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. When Serotonin is suddenly released in excess (due to ingesting Ecstasy), there could be wild mood swings of depression and anxiety. Other research suggests that over time, Ecstasy users may show signs of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

There are a select few individuals who are able to give up their addictions on their own. Other individuals require something similar to outpatient counseling, but they don't have to be monitored on a daily basis. Still others will struggle with attempting to "do it on their own", and require the need of an "in-patient' facility. Typically the recovering user will remain in the facility for upwards of thirty days, while they are watch round-the-clock to ensure that they do not find ways to obtain their drug of choice, or "pick-up" as better well known. Pharmacological interventions may be necessary to minimize some of the withdrawal symptoms the user might be having.

Ecstasy and similar Club Drugs are alive and well. When demand exceeds supply, there will always be a steady stream of illegal drugs entering the market. Our main goals should be to focus on "prevention", and educating individuals on the dangers of designer drugs.