We are seeing a new trend in teen and young adult drug use in our area: Ecstasy use is making a strong come back.
At the beginning of last year, I wrote a newsletter that discussed
the current national trends in teen drug use and how they compared
to our local trends. At that time, I discussed the rapid decline
of ecstasy use in our area. The use of ecstasy really peaked
as a popular drug of abuse 3 years ago. As a result of the alarming
rate of ecstasy use many things happened to combat the epidemic.
To address the issue of ecstasy use national organizations such
as, NIDA, NIAAA, Partnership for Drug Free America, and others
tenaciously educated our country about the dangers of ecstasy
use. We all saw the commercials, got brochures to attend seminars
and trainings to educate ourselves about this issue. Teachers
in jr. high and high schools were educated about it and so were
the students in a big way. Moreover, with the alarming rate
of use students began to see how it was affecting their peers.
I remember meeting with many teens during that time who would
tell me, I won't touch that stuff because my friend is now an
"E-tard". They saw how it effected their friends physical,
mental, social and academic health which resulted in the message
that this drug can be harmful. it is my belief that the combination
of these factors led to the decrease of ecstasy use in our area
at the time. Now the pendulum is swinging once again.
With the decrease of use came the decrease of education about
this drug in the media, at home and in our schools. Also, kids
were no longer seeing the negative effects of this drug with
their peers. With the slowed demand for "E" underground
manufactures and dealers found themselves stock piled with pills
that were once rapidly selling for $25.00 a pill.
In the last 6 months, more and more kids are reporting that
they are using and that their friends are using this drug. Why
?
A: well much of the answer has already been alluded to in the
previous paragraph, but I believe two other factors are playing
into this resurgence of ecstasy use as well:
1., The price for a single dose of "E" was $25.00 a
pill. Now the price is $6.00 - $10.00 a pill. Also, kids are
buying what are called "double stacked" and "triple
stacked" pills for that price. "Double stacked"
and "triple stacked" pills are pills that have double
and triple the dose of a regular pill. You might wonder how
dealers could drop the price so dramatically and still make a
profit, but the cost to make each pill for large operations is
only 20 cents. Keep in mind that a pill machine can produce
200,000 pills a day. That is almost a million pills a week.
We are talking about well organized crime rings that are involved
in the distribution (according to 60 Minutes).
2., Popular among some of today's youth is the song titled
"Thizzle Dance" by Mac Dre. The song is about dancing
while under the influence of ecstasy. Kids are coming into my
office with talking about the song, asking me if I have listed
to the song, and sometimes a kid might be in my office and their
cell phone will ring with the Thizzle Dance song being played.
Kids today hardly even refer to ecstasy as "E" anymore;
they refer to it as "Thizz." In the past they would
refer to being under the influence as "Rolling" and
today the term is "Thizzing." So I think this song
is a barometer of the trend as well as a perpetuator.
What are the street names for Ecstasy?
Some of the street names are: "E", "XTC",
"vitamin E", "candy", "mind candy","nikEs",
"blue nikEs", "yellow bannans", mitubishis",
"007's", "double stacks".. They refer to
the combination of LSD and Ecsatcy as "Candy Fliping".
They refer to the combination of Ecstasy and mushrooms as "Hippie
Flipping". Currently the latest term is "Thizz"
or "Thizzel" as illustrated in Mac Dre's popular song
among today's youth, "Thizzel Dance"
Drug users refer to heavy Ecstasy users as "E-tards"
Where do people use Ecstasy? "Raves"
People who are using Ecstasy have in all likelihood attended
or are very aware of "Raves". "Raves" are
well organized parties held at warehouses or peoples houses in
the past, but now they are less "underground" and are
being held a clubs and other places. Tickets to "raves"
can cost $10.00 - $30.00 each.
How do hallucinogens hijack the brain of
adolescents?
Drugs in this classification effect the Central Nervous system
by disrupting the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Serotonin, the
neurotransmitter that keeps people from feeling depressed. Nonetheless,
serotonin also serves as a filter for incoming sensory stimuli,
i.e., screening unimportant or irrelevant information. Hallucinogens
disrupt this process allowing a surge of sensory data.
People under the influence this drug will experience visual distortion, audio distortion, tactile distortion, and emotional distortion. Adolescents will report things like, "The picture in my house was breathing" or, "The blue picture sounded cool". Many adolescents on hallucinogens will hear color and see sound. Therefore, hallucinogens alter any sense of reality in a drug user.
What are the effects for the user?
Users report that Ecstasy produces intensely pleasurable effects
- including an enhanced sense of self-confidence and energy.
Effects include feelings of peacefulness, acceptance and empathy.
Users say they experience feelings of closeness with others and
a desire to touch others. Other effects can include involuntary
teeth clenching, a loss of inhibitions, transfixion on sights
and sounds, nausea, blurred vision, chills and/or sweating. Increases
in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as seizures, are also
possible. The stimulant effects of the drug enable users to dance
for extended periods, which when combined with the hot crowded
conditions usually found at raves, can lead to severe dehydration
and hyperthermia or dramatic increases in body temperature. This
can lead to muscle breakdown and kidney, liver and cardiovascular
failure. Cardiovascular failure has been reported in some of
the Ecstasy-related fatalities.
After-effects can include sleep problems, anxiety and depression.
What are its long-term effects?
Repeated use of Ecstasy ultimately may damage the cells that
produce serotonin, which has an important role in the regulation
of mood, appetite, pain, learning and memory. There already is
research suggesting Ecstasy use can disrupt or interfere with
memory.SerotoninA neurotransmitter that regulates many functions,
including mood, appetite, and sensory perception. (National Institute
on Drug Abuse)
What is its federal classification?
Schedule I
Source
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA);Drug Enforcement Agency
(DEA) [Revised July 2003]
For free education and informative materials contact:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
(800) 729-6686
http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/