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| April 2000 Ecstasy Say no to ‘E’ By Levina Sung ‘E’ stands for Ecstasy, which means “wild with joy” and “oblivious of oneself”. Ecstasy also is a synthetic psychoactive drug with hallucinogenic effects. According to Dr. Kenneth Lee of the Department of Pharmacy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ecstasy was first developed as an appetite suppressant for losing weight in Germany in 1910. Ecstasy was banned later because of its adverse effects on human health. However, it was manufactured illegally. Manufacturers add addictive substances like cocaine and caffeine to Ecstasy to raise the addictive effects, making people more dependent on the drug. Effects of Ecstasy begin 15 minutes to one hour after taking it. Users may start swaying a bit while standing up and they become talkative. “Users usually become open and delighted,” said Dr. Marcel Koo of the Department of Pharmacology at The University of Hong Kong. Mr. Simon Tam, a 20-year-old student, said that after taking the drug, he felt confident enough to chat with strangers. Most users have rushes, with feelings of “butterflies in the stomach”. The rushes were described as “a sort of orgasm all over the body, from toes upwards.” The buzz lasts for up to 12 hours, and users feel energetic and excited during that period. Dr. Koo said, “This characteristic of the drug keeps people dancing the whole night.” Other physical effects such as a dry mouth, rapid eye movement, muscle tension, nausea, faintness, fast heart rate and sweating also result. According to Dr. Lee, dehydration and overheating usually occur after taking Ecstasy. “Ecstasy inhibits the ability to maintain a normal body temperature,” said Dr. Lee. If users keep dancing in hot, crowded places the whole night, their body temperature may become dangerously high, causing adverse effects on brain functions. Ecstasy speeds up the secretion of serotonin, which is stored in the brain to regulate emotion, sleep and eating habits, thinking processes, sexual function and sensitivity to pain. According to Dr. Koo, when serotonin falls below the average level, depression and paranoia result. Said he: “It makes serotonin receptors in brain to temporarily ‘down-regulate’. “At that moment, Ecstasy users may experience symptoms of depression.” When the buzz wears off, most users have exhausted bodies, aching legs and sometimes a mild headache. Ecstasy has stronger effects on people who don’t drink or take drugs and those with empty stomachs. This is because they have less enzyme in their livers to break down Ecstasy. People with particular diseases may also be more vulnerable to the acute physical effects of the drug. For instance, heart rate and blood pressure are significantly raised, posing threats of fatal heart attacks in people with heart disease. Ecstasy may exacerbate symptoms of depression or psychiatric disorders by triggering anxiety. Dr. Koo said neurotoxin damage resulted in guinea pigs being fed with high doses of Ecstasy. It is still not known whether this will happen in humans. “Although there is no proof that Ecstasy will cause direct brain damage to humans, it is risky to take the drug,” said he. |
(Levina Sung)
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