RECREATIONAL DRUGS 'CAN HAVE LASTING SIDE EFFECTS'

New medical evidence has debunked the myth among recreational drug users
that small amounts of ecstasy and cocaine are safe after two studies
published today found that even moderate doses of the drugs have serious and
long-lasting mental or physical side effects.

German researchers discovered that ecstasy could reduce intelligence, while
an American study suggested that taking a small amount of cocaine could
cause blood clots and might explain the high rate of heart attacks among
users.

Researchers at Aachen University found that regular users of ecstasy
performed far worse in mental tasks than those who had never taken the drug.
They concluded that the effects may be "cumulative and irreversible".

They tested the alertness, attention span, memory and general intelligence
of 84 people - a third of whom were regular users of ecstasy and cannabis, a
third regular users of cannabis and a third who did not take any drugs.

The researchers found that ecstasy users got significantly worse scores in
complex memory tests, although their alertness was not affected.

The results, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and
Psychiatry, suggested that ecstasy could lead to a "cognitive decline" in
otherwise healthy young people, particularly if combined with cannabis, by
having toxic effects on brain cells, particularly those involved in the
serotonin neurotransmitter system, which might be irreversible.

Researchers at the Pittsburgh University medical centre who monitored the
heart rates and blood chemicals of 14 young people for two hours after the
subjects were given a small dose of cocaine found that the drug slightly
increased heart rate and blood pressure, with a more significant increase in
the chemicals aiding the formation of clots.

William Wagner, who led the research published in the journal Heart, said:
"The risk of thrombosis, similar to the risk of sudden cardiac death, is
real and may affect even the first time user of small quantities of the
drug."