Party in a Pill

COMMON MDMA MYTHS EXPLAINED

A previous staple of the rave scene, the chemical drug MDMA may be
seeing a revival in Canadian nightclubs and in the systems of young
professionals and post-secondary students.

"MDMA is a party in a pill," said Kate S., a 25-year-old Calgary
student who asked that her name be withheld. She's a recreational drug
user who has tried almost every drug on the market since high school,
and now calls 'M' her drug of choice.

"Pills are the hip drugs right now and 'M' is definitely at the top of
the list," she said.

MDMA stands for methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and a large portion of
its chemical makeup is identical to crystal meth.

The effects of MDMA include euphoria, increased sociability,
self-confidence and decreased fear, as well as increased body
temperature and blood pressure. It's either taken orally or snorted,
and the average dose, between 100 and 125 mg, costs users $10.

Alberta Health Services does not track the number of people requesting
treatment for MDMA use. It's lumped into a larger category in the
electronic intake system.

However, in The Alberta Youth Experience Survey data collected from
2008, only 3.7 per cent of high school students admitted to using the
drug in the previous 12 months. Its use increased with each grade,
meaning that Grade 12 students were more likely to use it than those
younger.

The students surveyed then would now be the age of post-secondary
students in the province.

Cheryl Houtekamer, a program supervisor for Youth Addiction Services
in Calgary, said past use may predict future use, but not necessarily.
"If someone used (MDMA) in high school and had a bad experience,
they're less likely to use it again," she said. "I think if someone is
using a drug and has a good time, they're more likely to use it again."

While statistics for Calgary MDMA incidents have not shown an
increase, the nature of the drug makes keeping track of it more difficult.

"We're on par with what we had for last year," said Detective Collin
Harris with the Calgary Police Service. "But our numbers are based on
reports involving incidents and (drug) seizures only, so there could
still be an increase, just not a reported one. Also, a lot of times
when someone's overdosing on a chemical drug like MDMA, they're
hesitant to call us about it."

Further east, the Toronto Police Service has seized approximately 40
per cent more MDMA compared to last year.

Drug researchers like Dr. Stephen Kish, a senior scientist and head of
the human neurochemical pathology laboratory in the neuroscience
department at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, says
habitual users risk ruining their natural ability to feel happiness.
"If we know that serotonin affects mood, and we know that ecstasy
damages serotonin neurons, we're going to have a group of ecstasy
users who will be developing depression," he said.

"The come-down on M is shorter and not as extreme as other drugs, but
it's definitely there," says Kate. "I just have to be aware that it's
a serotonin-releaser and that I'm gonna be really low on happy
chemicals for awhile. A week after a good M binge, when I'm
experiencing suicidal thoughts, I just have to remember that's why."

The misconception that MDMA is not as harmful as ecstasy is another
main reason that keeps people coming back for more. Kate says she
believes MDMA is a much more "pure" form of ecstasy.

But Houtekamer, who's worked with youth experiencing addiction for
over two decades, says that's just not accurate. "You never really
know what's being used to create it," she said, citing that some
batches seized in Alberta contain crystal meth.

She says a lot of people claim to know their dealers well, and that
they can trust the product. "The dealers probably aren't making it,"
Houtekamer said.

When the Toronto police have MDMA evidence analyzed by Health Canada,
Staff Sergeant John Babiar said about half of the pills tested are
found to contain other substances. Meth, PCP, MDA and Ketamine are
among some of the drugs found in the analyzed samples.

"Regardless of your thoughts on the risks of MDMA, there's no
guarantee that (MDMA) is what you're actually getting," he said.

Though death from taking MDMA is rare, scientists have yet to
understand why some people die from it while others don't. Increased
body temperature and blood pressure, two physical effects of taking
MDMA, can cause overheating, which can lead to hypothermic death.
Based on a UK study published in The Lancet earlier this month,
ecstasy was ranked 16 out of 20 on a list of drugs based on harm to
the user and harm to others.

"I've seen a lot of other drugs get messy, but I've only seen one bad
trip with M," said Kate. "When we were at the Olympics, my friend was
all whacked out on it and it scared me ... But compared to the risks of
coke, for example, M's not really a big concern for me."

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's Dr. Kish says MDMA isn't
addictive, but MDMA users will develop a tolerance - although the
scientific community isn't sure how.

A tolerance shows something in the brain has changed. Not necessarily
brain damage, said Kish, but something is different. What Kish does
know is that there is still much to learn about MDMA and its effects
on the brain and body.

"(MDMA) is still, in my opinion, an area of uncertainty," he
said.

Anyone experiencing issues with substance abuse in Alberta can call
1-866-332-2322 for help