Letters to the Editor

Ecstasy research

Sir: The research in your article "Proof positive. Taking ecstasy
permanently alters your brain" (6 November) proves no such thing. What it
shows is that taking illegally procured "pills" causes changes in the
brain. Because Ecstasy is illegal, the content of illegal pills is hardly
ever MDMA, the substance which clubbers seek.

So, if this research was conducted on real life clubbers, it certainly
cannot be concluded that MDMA causes any such effect. Illegal pills are
often related chemicals, such as MDEA or MDA or cocktails of these and
other drugs. No conclusions can be drawn about the health effects of using
dance drugs whilst they remain illegal.

Derek Williams, Norwich