Street Cents

Ecstasy

Is it really the "safe drug" people say it is?

Police say real Ecstasy is hard to find

Another danger of taking Ecstasy is that people may buy something, thinking it's Ecstasy, when in fact it may not be Ecstasy at all.

Drug manufacturers sell fake pills on the street. It's a way for them to make a lot of money without having to buy the chemicals needed to make E.

Drugs people sell at clubs and on the streets are often a mixture of other drugs; for example: cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and caffeine. It's bad enough taking one of these drugs. But, when we mix them together, the risks skyrocket.

Here in Canada, the RCMP have collected samples of E and analyzed them. Of the pills they have gathered, only 15 per cent had MDMA in them.

For a list of some of the most common drugs that are sold as Ecstasy and what they do, check out our sidebar.

Some teens buy drug-testing kits or get someone else to test their E to make sure it's real MDMA. Although it's good to know what you're taking, don't think you're safe if you have pure MDMA in your hand. Real Ecstasy can be just as harmful as the mixed pills. It only takes one pill, with a typical dose of MDMA, to cause serious harm.

Can we avoid the dangers of Ecstasy?

Many people have suggestions to help Ecstasy users avoid the dangers of taking E.

Some people believe that taking certain vitamins or eating certain foods will help them avoid all of the nasty effects of E, or make their trip even better.

But . . .

None of these suggestions is scientifically proven to work. And sometimes, they could be dangerous.

For example, some people take anti-depressants, such as Prozac, to try and stop the depression that comes after an Ecstasy high. Other people take sleeping pills to help cure insomnia caused by Ecstasy. But, these steps can have dangerous consequences of their own. We should never take any serious prescription drugs without seeing our doctor first.

The last word

In the end, we all have to decide for ourselves whether or not to use Ecstasy. But we owe it to ourselves to make an informed decision.

Ecstasy is not a safe drug. Any way you cut it, Ecstasy just isn't the harmless, sweet and cuddly drug people think it is. You can die.

Make your own decisions.

<< Back

original air date: April 22, 2002

Back: to Episode 14
Page 1: About Ecstasy
Page 2: The Problems
Page 3: The Last Word

Don't trust the logos

Many Ecstasy manufacturers put cute logos on their pills to make them more appealing to us. It's also a way to sell their drugs.

Some logos on Ecstasy pills include:

smiley faces
playboy bunny heads
the Superman crest
logos for Much Music, Calvin Klein, Mitsubishi
yin yangs

Users may trust a dealer who has a pill with a certain logo on it. Or, they'll get a good high from a certain pill and look for it in the future.

Don't rely on the logos. When manufacturers find out that a certain logo is popular, they copy it. Sometimes these copycats put dangerous chemicals in their drugs, because they're cheap and easy to buy. Even though the pills are fake and dangerous, dealers will still make a lot of money from the pills because people don't realize that it's not the same pill that they bought before.

Test your knowledge:

Want to see how much you know about Ecstasy? Click here and take the quiz.

The Agony of Ecstasy

As part of this segment, Street Cents interviewed Julian Madigan.

Julian was an avid athlete with many awards. But, in his mid-teens he decided to try a few drugs. Julian soon became hooked on the pleasures of 'E' and his life started to revolve around Ecstasy and the rave scene. Julian lost touch with his friends and the activities he used to enjoy. He started selling drugs to feed his Ecstasy habit. Julian didn't stop dealing and rolling on E until his father intervened and helped him out.

Today, at age 26, Julian says Ecstasy turned his life upside down. He has written a book about his experiences. It's called The Agony of Ecstasy (Poolbeg Press, Dublin, Ireland).