INFOFACTSRESOURCES The Higher Education Center for and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention

Campuses and the Ecstasy by Amy Powell

Although alcohol is the drug that college students distinguishing logo, such as a green triangle2 As with the current fi ndings regarding ecstasy use most frequently and in greatest quantity, the or a brand name.3 The purchase price of ec- use among college students, the percentage of designer drug ecstasy has generated both curiosity stasy in the United States is generally between youth using this drug is relatively low, but may and concern in recent years. This Fact Sheet offers $20 and $30 per pill.4 be higher on individual campuses. As is the case an overview of ecstasy, possible effects of its use, and Along with gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) with all alcohol and other drugs, prevention implications for institutions of higher education. and rohypnol, ecstasy is frequently called a professionals are encouraged to collect preva- “club drug.” This categorization comes from lence data specifi c to their own campus before its widespread use at clubs, concerts, and designing a comprehensive prevention program. What Is Ecstasy? raves (large, all-night dance parties). Young Along with reported increases in use, ecstasy’s people use ecstasy in these settings to experi- availability appears to be increasing. From 1993 Ecstasy is one of the names used to refer to the ence the euphoria and energetic feeling that to 1999, seizures of ecstasy tablets submitted to chemical structure 3-4 methylenedioxymeth-am- the drug can provide, seeming to enhance the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) by phetamine. This synthetic, psychoactive substance their ability to dance, socialize, and stay various law enforcement agencies rose from 196 is also known as methaline dioximeth-amphet- awake for extended periods of time. A 2005 to 143,600.8 According to the DEA, this increase amine (MDMA); other shorthand terms for the drug study revealed that students also use the drug suggests that a greater quantity of the drug is are “adam,” “XTC,” “bean,” “essence,” “roll,” “E,” because of its positive effects on mood, broad now coming into the United States, making it “lover’s speed,” “M,” “eve,” “X,” “feel good drug,” availability, to self-medicate, or to “escape” or easier for potential users to obtain. This infl ux “doves,” “rave energy,” “cloud nine,” and “the 5 achieve an altered state of mind. poses new challenges to law enforcement. hug drug.” Its chemical composition is similar to Unlike some other popular drugs, ecstasy and mescaline and , two synthetic its derivatives are not easily manufactured in drugs known to cause brain damage.1 The drug How Prevalent Is Ecstasy makeshift labs. The DEA estimates that 80 was created in 1912 by a German company; it was Use? percent of the drug comes from sophisticated, patented, but never studied or marketed for hu- The actual number of students using ecstasy clandestine labs in the Netherlands.9 U.S. man consumption. In the 1970s and 1980s, some and other club drugs remains relatively low. enforcement agencies at the national, state, and therapists used ecstasy to facilitate psychotherapy. The 2006 Monitoring the Future study indi- local levels are working to expand their opera- The drug was declared illegal in the United States in cates that while 30-day prevalence for ecstasy tions to take into account this relatively new 1985, when it was made a Schedule 1 substance. among college students rose to 2.5 percent in source. Ecstasy is usually taken in the form of pills or 2000, that rate dropped to 0.6 percent in 2006. capsules, although it is occasionally used in Further, lifetime prevalence reached a high of powder form. Most varieties are stamped with a 14.47 percent in 2001, but dropped to only 6.9 Possible Short-Term Effects of percent in 2006.6 Ecstasy Use For additional information Campuses face the possibility that incoming People who have taken ecstasy and professionals The Higher Education Center for students will have already experimented with encountering those under its infl uence (e.g., Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse ecstasy. According to the 2006 Monitoring the medical personnel, law enforcement agents, and Violence Prevention Future Survey, 1.4 percent of 8th graders report counselors) report an array of possible effects Education Development Center, Inc. using ecstasy in the past year, with 4.1 percent from the drug:10, 11, 12, 13 55 Chapel Street of 12th graders reporting past-year use. • temporary feeling of enhanced self- Newton, Massachusetts 02458-1060 A 2006 study also suggests that college confi dence http://www.higheredcenter.org students who use ecstasy are likely to be • “energy burst” 1-800-676-1730; TDD Relay-friendly, Dial 711 polydrug users: ecstasy users, compared with • feeling less inhibited Fax: 617-928-1537 marijuana users, are signifi cantly more likely • confusion to have used inhalants, LSD, , and • depression Funded by the 7 U.S. Department of Education in the past year. • sleep problems August 2008 FCT6 ☞ INFOFACTS The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention Š http://www.higheredcenter.org

• hallucinations lacing agents include amphe-amines, Valium, In spite of marketing efforts announcing • drug craving , and dextro-methorphan (DM), an the alcohol- and drug-free nature of rave-like • severe anxiety ingredient in many over-the-counter cough alternative events, informal communications • paranoia suppressants.19 It is also common for ket- among students may misrepresent these campus • muscle tension amine, , paramethoxyamphetamine activities as actual raves. This misperception • increased heart rate (PMA), and other substances to be peddled as may lead to visitors arriving on campus to take • increased blood pressure ecstasy.20 Therefore, would-be ecstasy users part in these events and to the presence of ecstasy • increased body temperature may unknowingly ingest other potentially and other club drugs on campus. • dehydration harmful substances. • involuntary teeth clenching In order to determine what pills purchased Creating a Social, Academic, and Resi- • nausea by club-goers as ecstasy actually contain, dential Environment That Promotes Healthy Social Norms • blurred vision groups such as DanceSafe (http://www.dance- • rapid eye movement safe.org) test pills on-site at raves and clubs to • Survey students to determine the prevalence of • faintness identify ingredients—including . ecstasy and club drugs on campus. • chills Such groups face opposition by those who feel • Develop social norms marketing22 campaigns • sweating that such testing condones the use of illicit to address any exaggerated misperceptions of A small number of deaths has been reported substances. Advocates of this practice, how- ecstasy or other club drug use. 14 among ecstasy users. Ecstasy is often used in ever, believe that testing for ecstasy reduces conjunction with alcohol or other drugs while the risk of young people ingesting unknown Limiting Availability and Access dancing in overheated venues; it is, therefore, substances that could prove harmful or fatal. • Work with local law enforcement to stay unclear whether these deaths were the direct current with trends related to ecstasy result of ingesting ecstasy or attributable to distribution and use in the area. other factors.15 • Utilize campus and community coalitions, Strategies for Institutions of including enforcement agencies, to identify Higher Education where students are getting and using ecstasy Although the number of students involved Potential Long-Term Effects and to address these possible sources of club with ecstasy is relatively low, the recent of Ecstasy Use drugs at the institution and in the increase in use challenges colleges and surrounding community (e.g., arresting Research continues to focus on the potential universities to include the drug specifi cally dealers, closing clubs that allow use on the long-term consequences of ecstasy use. One as they develop and implement prevention premises). recent study found that exposure to MDMA in and enforcement efforts for alcohol and other laboratory animals caused brain damage that drugs. Environmental strategies21 for reduc- Enforcing Campus Policy and State was present six to seven years after testing; the and Local Laws parts of the brain affected were those critical to ing ecstasy use include the following: thought and memory.16 Another preliminary • Revise campus alcohol and other drug Promoting Alcohol- and Drug-Free policies as necessary to include club drugs study suggests that human use of ecstasy as a Social, Recreational, and Extracur- specifi cally. recreational drug may be related to elevated im- ricular Options and Public Service • Communicate campus alcohol and other pulsivity.17 While there are no defi nitive fi ndings drug policies clearly and frequently to the to date, the existing research offers reason to be • Use alternative events to simulate the club community, including possible consequences concerned about ecstasy’s potential dangers. and rave atmospheres that appeal to some students; marketing efforts for these events for violations. must clearly outline the alcohol- and drug- • Coordinate with local law enforcement to free guidelines for the activities. uphold campus policies and state laws Other Causes for Concern • Incorporate rave-type activities into relating to the possession and use of ecstasy While the effects of ecstasy are uncertain, alcohol- and drug-free events (e.g., high- and related drugs. known dangers involve the unregulated nature energy music, dancing, extended hours); Restricting Marketing and Promotion of the drug. U.S. enforcement agencies and as with any event, adequate supervision antidrug groups report that ecstasy, laced with and security must be in place to ensure the • Prohibit on-campus advertising of rave a variety of additives, is coming into major cit- alcohol- and drug-free nature of these clubs and related events. ies.18 According to anecdotal evidence, common events. • Work with campus and community coalitions to restrict promotions in the FCT6 INFOFACTS The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention Š http://www.higheredcenter.org

community at large that advertise clubs and Notes 15.Ibid. raves where ecstasy may be present and its 1. National Institute on Drug Abuse, National 16.National Institute on Drug Abuse, op.cit. use may be encouraged or tolerated. Institutes of Health (NIDA/NIH). “Infofax— 17.M. J. Morgan. “Recreational Use of ‘Ecstasy’ • Encourage all institution faculty and staff to MDMA (Ecstasy) 13547.” http//165.112.78.61/ (MDMA) Is Associated with Elevated be aware of and to report any marketing Infofax/ecstasy.html. Impulsivity,” Neuropsychopharmacology 19, materials and rumors regarding rave clubs 2. A. Bollman. “Ecstasy Additives Trouble Activists,” no. 4 (October 16, 1998): 252–64. and similar activities where student club Boston Globe, 11 September 2000, sec. B, 1. 18.Bollman, op.cit. drug use may occur. 3. Partnership for a Drug-Free America Website 19.Bollman,op.cit. • Work with local law enforcement to address [www document]. http:// 20.“Party Drug, Fatal Drug.” CBS News/48 and investigate promotions found on www.drugfreeamerica.org/druginfo/ Hours (November 30, 2000). http:// campus and in the surrounding community. drugInfo.asp?drugID=10. cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,253290- . 4. U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement 412,00.shtml. Administration Website [www document]. 21.For more information about environmental Pursuing Further Research http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/mdma/ strategies for alcohol and other drug prevention,

Efforts are under way to raise awareness and .htm. see the Higher Education Center’s publication Environmental Management: A Comprehen- to learn more about the prevalence, effects, 5. Levy, K. B.; O’Grady, K. E.; Wish, E. D.; and Arria, sive Strategy for Reducing Alcohol and Other and potential dangers of ecstasy among youth, A. M. “An In-Depth Qualitative Examination of Drug Use on College Campuses. college and university students, and the adults the Ecstasy Experience: Results of a Focus Group working and living with them. For example, with Ecstasy-Using College Students.” Substance 22.For more information about social norms the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Use & Misuse 40, 9–10, 2005. marketing, see the Higher Education Center’s Social Marketing Strategies for (funded by the Offi ce of National Drug Control 6. Johnston, L. D.; O’Malley, P. M.; Bachman, J. G.; publication Campus Prevention of Alcohol and Other Policy [ONDCP]) offers a Web site, http://www. and Schulenberg, J. E. Monitoring the Future Drug Problems. freevibe.com, to educate and encourage National Survey Results on Drug Use, discussion about ecstasy and other club drugs. 1975–2006. Volume II: College Students and In December 1999, the National Institute on Adults Ages 19–45 (NIH Publication No. 07-6206) (Bethesda, Md.: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced an additional Amy Powell is a freelance writer based in 2007). national initiative that would increase funding Washington, D.C. for research about club drugs, their effects, 7. Wish, E. D.; Fitzelle, D. B.; O’Grady, K. E.; Hsu, M. and effective strategies for curbing use; this H.; and Arria, A. M. “Evidence for Signifi cant effort brought NIDA’s fi nancial commitment to Polydrug Use among Ecstasy-Using College address club drugs to a total of $54 million dol- Students.” Journal of American College Health lars. As part of this initiative, NIDA maintains 55, 2, 2006. a Web site for information about ecstasy and 8. U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement other club drugs: http://www.clubdrugs.org. Administration Website, op.cit. Institutions of higher education will need 9. K. DeYoung. “Alarm on Spreading Ecstasy,” This publication was funded by the Offi ce of Washington Post,1 August 2000, sec. A, 3. Safe and Drug-Free Schools at the U.S. Depart- more data about this trend in order to address it ment of Education under contracts number effectively. Patterns of student use, implications 10.Partnership for a Drug-Free America Website, op.cit. ED-99-CO-0094 and ED-04-CO-0137 with for academic performance, and correlations to 11.National Institute on Drug Abuse, op.cit. Education Development Center, Inc. The contracting 12.K. Kaufhold. “Use of Ecstasy Explodes on offi cer’s representative was Richard Lucey, Jr. The content other social issues on campus (e.g., sexual as- of this publication does not necessarily refl ect the views or sault, suicide) are potential areas for further study. Campus and in Clubs.” http://www.cpnet.com/ policies of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does the cpres/backtoschool/docs/991210ecstasy.asp. mention of trade names, commercial products, or organi- 13.Join Together Online (June 22, 2000). “Free zations imply endorsement by the U.S. government. This publication also contains hyperlinks and URLs for infor- Water for Drinkers, Designer Drug Users.” mation created and maintained by private organizations. http://www.jointogether.org/sa/wire/news/ This information is provided for the reader’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education is not responsible for reader.jtml?Object_ID=263558. controlling or guaranteeing the accuracy, relevance, time- 14.“Ecstasy and Raves,” Developments 20, no. 5 liness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, (October-November 2000). http:// the inclusion of information or a hyperlink or URL does not refl ect the importance of the organization, nor is it www.gov.ab.ca/aadac/addictions/Developments/ intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or v20_5.htm. services offered. Published 2001; latest update 2008.

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Offi ce of Safe and Drug-Free Other Organizations National Clearinghouse on Schools (OSDFS) Alcohol and Drug Information U.S. Department of Education Community Anti-Drug Coalitions (NCADI) http://www.ed.gov/osdfs; 202-245-7896 of America (CADCA) http://www.ncadi.samhsa.gov; 1-800-729-6686; http://www.cadca.org; 1-800-54-CADCA 301-468-2600 OSDFS supports efforts to create safe schools, NCADI is the information service of the Center respond to crises, prevent alcohol and other CADCA’s mission is to create and strengthen drug abuse, ensure the health and well-being of the capacity of new and existing coalitions to for Substance Abuse Prevention of the Substance students, and teach students good character and build safe, healthy, and drug-free communities. Abuse and Mental Health Services Administra- citizenship. The agency provides fi nancial as- The organization supports its members with tion in the U.S. Department of Health and sistance for drug abuse and violence prevention technical assistance and training, public policy, Human Services. NCADI is a major resource for programs and activities that promote the health media strategies and marketing programs, and current information and materials concerning and well-being of students in elementary and conferences and special events. substance abuse. The organization responds secondary schools and institutions of higher to public inquiries regarding alcohol and other education. The Core Institute drug use; distributes free or low-cost infor- http://www.siu.edu/~coreinst; 618-453-4420 mational, culturally appropriate materials on The U.S. Department of prevention, intervention, and treatment; and Education’s Higher Education The federally funded Core Institute assists colleges provides access to several alcohol and other Center for Alcohol and Other and universities in AOD prevention efforts. The drug prevention databases. Drug Abuse and Violence Core Alcohol and Drug Survey includes questions Prevention on academic performance as well as substance National Institute on Drug http://www.higheredcenter.org; 1-800-676-1730; use, campus climate, campus violence, beliefs Abuse (NIDA) TDD Relay-friendly, Dial 711 about the effects of alcohol, participation in http://www.nida.nih.gov; 301-443-1124 campus activities, perceptions of group norms, The Higher Education Center offers an integrated NIDA’s mission is to lead the Nation in bringing risks involved in using alcohol and other drugs, array of services to help campuses and com- the power of science to bear on drug abuse munities come together to identify problems; and secondary effects of drinking. The institute and addiction. This charge has two critical assess needs; and plan, implement, and evaluate provides technical assistance on survey adminis- components: The fi rst is the strategic support alcohol and other drug abuse and violence tration and data analysis and interpretation. and conduct of research across a broad range prevention programs. Services include training; of disciplines. The second is to ensure the rapid technical assistance; publications; support for the Join Together and effective dissemination and use of the Network Addressing Collegiate Alcohol and Other http://www.jointogether.org; [email protected] results of that research to signifi cantly improve Drug Issues; and evaluation activities. The Higher 617-437-1500 drug abuse and addiction prevention, treatment, Education Center’s publications are free and can Join Together, a project of the Boston University and policy. be downloaded from its Web site. School of Public Health, is a national resource for communities working to reduce substance Offi ce of National Drug Control The Network Addressing abuse and gun violence. Policy (ONDCP) Collegiate Alcohol and Other http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov Drug Issues Monitoring the Future Study http://www.thenetwork.ws; see Web site for ONDCP establishes policies, priorities, and ob- http://monitoringthefuture.org; 734-764-8354 telephone contacts by region jectives for the Nation’s drug control program, the goals of which are to reduce illicit drug use, The Network Addressing Collegiate Alcohol Since 1975, Monitoring the Future has surveyed a nationwide sample of high school seniors. manufacturing, and traffi cking; drug-related and Other Drug Issues (Network) is a national crime and violence; and drug-related health consortium of colleges and universities formed Since 1991, the project has also included consequences. ONDCP’s Pulse Check: Trends to promote healthy campus environments by ad- nationwide samples of 8th and 10th grade in Drug Abuse Mid-Year 2000 has a section dressing issues related to alcohol and other drugs. students. Annual follow-up surveys are mailed on ecstasy and other club drugs (see www. Developed in 1987 by the U.S. Department of to a sample of each graduating class for a whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/ Education, the Network comprises member insti- number of years after their initial participa- pulsechk/midyear2000/midyear2000.pdf). tutions that voluntarily agree to work toward a set tion. This survey assesses the beliefs, attitudes, of standards aimed at reducing AOD problems at and behaviors of young people in the United colleges and universities. It has more than 1,600 States. Follow-up survey results are reported for members nationwide. undergraduate students attending college. FCT6