Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug

Wiley - Tập 87 Số 8 - Trang 1161-1172 - 1992
Nadia Solowij1, Wayne Hall1, Nicole Lee1
1National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, PO Box 1, Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia

Tóm tắt

Abstract‘Ecstasy’ (3,4‐methylenedioxymethampketamine or MDMA) is a recreational drug that is gaining popularity world wide. There is a paucity of research regarding the ways in which Ecstasy is used and the nature of its effects. A ‘snowball’ peer network technique was used to recruit 100 users who completed anonymous questionnaires. The research revealed that Ecstasy is primarily used by infrequent recreational drug users for ‘fun’ at dance parties and social gatherings. The primary reported effects of Ecstasy were a ‘positive mood state’ and feelings of intimacy and closeness to others. The secondary effects of Ecstasy were the stimulant effects of energy and activation, and the psychedelic effects of insight and perceptual and sensual enhancement. Ecstasy was reported to share the properties of both amphetamines and hallucinogens in the nature of its side effects and residual effects which were no more severe than those of the latter two classes of drug. It appeared Ecstasy was not conducive to regular and frequent use, because tolerance was reported to develop to the positive effects of Ecstasy, while negative effects increased with use. Although few problems associated with the recreational use of Ecstasy have surfaced to date, animal research has shown it to be neurotoxic to serotonergic nerve terminals. Caution must be observed until further research can determine the level of hazard in humans.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472364

Grinspoon L., 1986, Can drugs be used to enhance the psychotherapeutic process, American Journal of Psychotherapy, 393, 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1986.40.3.393

Beck J.(1986)MDMA: the popularisation and resultant implications of a recently controlled psychoactive substance Contemporary Drug Problems pp.23–61.

10.1056/NEJM198712103172419

Horwitz T., 1986, High and low on Ecstasy, Sydney Morning Herald: Good Weekend, 15

Commonwealth Department of Community Services and Health, 1989, Statistics on Drug Abuse in Australia

10.2190/DCRP-U22M-AUMD-D84H

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472362

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472361

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472366

Greer G., 1990, Ecstasy: The Clinical, Pharmacological and Neurotoxicological Effects of the Drug MDMA

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472367

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472368

Peroutka S. J., 1968, Subjective effects of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphe‐tarnine in recreational users, Neuropsychopharmacology, 1, 273

Beck J., 1989, Exploring Ecstasy: a description of MDMA users

Leser D., 1989, The Ecstasy invasion, The Australian Magazine, The Australian, 30

Fitzgerald J., 1991, MDMA and harm, The International Journal on Drug Policy, 2, 22

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472370

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472371

Solowij N.&Lee N.(1991)A survey of Ecstasy [MDMA] users in Sydney research grant report series B91/1 (NSW Department of Health Drug and Alcohol Directorate).

Mugford S.&Cohen P.(1989)Drug use social relations and commodity consumption: a study of recreational cocaine users in Sydney Canberra and Melbourne(a Report to the Research into Drug Abuse Advisory Committee. National Campaign Against Drug Abuse).

10.1111/j.1445-5994.1988.tb02232.x

10.3109/15563658708992620

Shulgin A. T., 1978, The Pharmacology of the Hallucinogens

10.1080/02791072.1986.10472369

10.1007/978-1-4613-1485-1

10.1080/02791072.1985.10472337

Dowling G. P., 1987, “Eve” and “Ecstasy”: a report of five deaths associated with the use of MDEA and MDMA, Journal of the American Medical Association, 257, 1615, 10.1001/jama.1987.03390120077027

10.1007/978-1-4613-1485-1_5

10.1097/00000433-198812000-00015

10.1136/bmj.302.6778.697

10.1001/jama.258.6.780

O'Hearn E., 1988, Methylene‐dioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotinergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity, Journal of Neuroscience, 8, 2788, 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.08-08-02788.1988

Schmidt C. J., 1987, Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 240, 1

10.1016/0006-8993(88)91309-1

10.1016/0091-3057(88)90155-4

Peroutka S. J., 1987, Monoamine metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid of recreational users of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphe‐tarnine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’), Research in Community Substance Abuse, 8, 125

10.1007/978-1-4613-1485-1_6

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Wiley

Tập 87 Số 8

1161-1172

Thông tin tác giả