ECSTASY CAN DULL THE BRAIN

New medical evidence has debunked the myth 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.

Researchers at Aachen University in Germany found regular ecstasy users
performed far worse in mental tasks than non-users. They concluded that the
effects may be "cumulative and irreversible".

The results, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and
Psychiatry, showed ecstasy users got significantly worse scores in complex
memory tests.

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

Their findings appear in the journal Heart.