'FUN DRUG' CAN ZING USER'S BRAIN

WASHINGTON — While teen use of marijuana has decreased, continuing a
three-year trend, teen use of a drug called "ecstasy" has increased
dramatically.

MDMA or 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is the scientific name for the
drug more commonly known as ecstasy, XTC, X, the love drug, or Adam. The
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies the drug as a "Schedule I
synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic
properties." Similar in structure to amphetamine and methamphetamine, MDMA
was first produced by a German company, Merck, in 1912 to serve as an
appetite suppressant. The United States Army also tested it in the 1950s as
a potential weapon.

In the late 1970s, the drug was used in psychotherapy treatments. According
to the Drug Enforcement Agency, "MDMA is taken orally, usually in tablet or
capsule form, and its effects last approximately four to six hours. Users
... say that it produces profoundly positive feelings, empathy for others,
elimination of anxiety, and extreme relaxation. MDMA is also said to
suppress the need to eat, drink, or sleep, enabling users to endure two-to
three-day parties."

The drug's effects often lead to dehydration and exhaustion. Other adverse
effects include "nausea, hallucinations, chills, sweating, increased body
temperature, tremors, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and
blurred vision." Those who have used it have also reported feelings of
"anxiety, paranoia, and depression."

The DEA reports that, "An MDMA overdose is characterized by high blood
pressure, faintness, panic attacks, and, in more severe cases, loss of
consciousness, seizures, and a drastic rise in body temperature. MDMA
overdoses can be fatal, as they may result in heart failure or extreme heat
stroke."

While the long-term effects of this drug are just beginning to be studied,
the DEA cited a 1998 National Institute of Mental Health study that found
habitual users "suffered damage to the neurons in the brain that transmit
serotonin, an important biochemical involved in a variety of critical
functions, including learning, sleep, and integration of emotion. The
results of the study indicate that recreational MDMA users may be at risk
of developing permanent brain damage that may manifest itself in
depression, anxiety, memory loss, and other neuropsychotic disorders."

Alan Leschner, the director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse,
commented, "If your brain is getting zinged, then you ought to have some
kind of deficit in cognitive ability, and here it is. There is this
misconception that it's a benign, fun drug — and it's not."