title: Ecstasy is a dangerous drug.
abstract: Ecstasy, a dangerous psychoactive drug, has become a popular recreational drug on college campuses and dance halls in the United States, United Kingdom, and around the world. No reports on ecstasy have shown addictiveness, and some users of ecstasy claim they prefer infrequent use which is not the usual addictive pattern. Jaw clenching, bruxism, and some cardiac arrhythmias requiring medical attention have been associated with consumption of ecstasy and some fatalities. In large scale retrospective questionnaire studies of subjective experiences users claimed that they felt a gentle relaxation and openness to others and few adversive effects. In rats and monkeys ecstasy has caused depletion of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain but similar effects have not been identified for humans. Case reports have shown panic attacks, flashbacks, paranoia, and even fatalities. The Drug Enforcement Administration in 1985 placed ecstasy in Schedule I, the most restrictive drug category.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine