Ecstasy, Euphoria… and Death
Originally used by club-scene ravers, the drug Ecstasy, known as E or MDMA, has now spread from the dance floor to schools, offices and homes. Cliques in American High Schools use it; executives in high positions use it. But is it safe?
O
ne
of the main arguments E-users cite to defend their choice of drug is
that it is safer than alcohol which claims thousands of lives a
year. It is certainly true that for teens in the USA, alcohol is
still the deadliest drug. For Americans aged 16-20 car crashes are
the leading cause of deaths, and 37 percent of those involve
alcohol. Ecstasy, however, can still endanger life.
Users of Ecstasy will defensively declare that taking it is completely safe. Anti-drug agencies will say it is completely unsafe. Both sides are guilty of stopping people understanding the true risks and assessing the real impact the drug can have on your body. Although anti-drug agencies mean well, their scare tactics often annoy young people who sense that they are being presented with an exaggerated story. This means many young people often refuse to listen to the scientific facts.
Raving about Ecstasy
The rave scene is indisputably cool – the electronic music, the clothes, the people, the DJs. For many, the experience is made even better by ‘taking an E’, the music sounds incredible, you feel a sense of ‘love’ for you fellow clubbers and you just want to dance all night long. There’s no denying that this is true, however, the biological way Ecstasy gives you a high is also the way it can harm or kill you.
Side Effects
E works by causing nerve cells in your body to release serotonin. This is the body’s mood-regulating chemical. When the brain is flooded with serotonin, it can cause you to experience feelings of bliss, empathy, and perceived insight. The problem with this is that the body is not designed to release serotonin all at once; it is supposed to be stored in nerve endings. In some cases E causes the nerve endings to be permanently damaged. This phenomenon has been linked to short-term memory loss and depression the day after taking the tablets.
OvErhEating and dEath
Serotonin is also used by the body to regulate temperature. While the brain is flooded with it, the body cannot produce any more at the nerve endings where it is usually stored. Particularly when several pills are taken, the body starts to overheat. Dancing in a hot room which other people makes the situation worse. Regular users know they must drink water but often it is too late. Some deaths have been caused by people drinking too much water. Some people’s blood temperature can reach 43 degrees when they use E. At this temperature the blood coagulates and the user dies.
From E to E.R. – It’s impossible to know what are you buying
E is indisputably a dangerous drug for many people. Even more dangerous is the stuff that is sold as E but is something else. The majority of people who end up in the E.R. (emergency room) of hospitals, have not taken E. They have been tricked and have taken fake E, containing cheaper and more dangerous chemicals than those in E. According to the time magazine, as demand for E has grown, so has the incentive to manufacture fake E, especially for one-time raves full of teens who won’t see the dealer again.
Ex 4. Read the text and answer the questions:
Is it ever safe to take Ecstasy? 2.Under what circumstances is the drug most dangerous? 3. What does the drug do? 4. What can be done to minimize the number of young people who die each year from Ecstasy and other drugs?
Ex 5. Work with your partner and make a list of five activities which you do in your free-time and which you never do? Tell your group mates about them. What activity is the most / least popular in your group?
Listening
Ex 6. Listen to the results of a survey of leisure activities and complete the missing information
Leisure survey We asked 100 people this question: Which of these things do you enjoy doing? |
Here are the results. playing video games ……………………...% going………………….../………………28 % going to the cinema……………………….% renting a video /DVD ……………………..% reading a …………………./…………..100% going for a………………………………93% going to a…………………………………..% listening to the………………………….71% playing a…………………………………..% |
Speaking
Ex 7. Compare the results of the survey with your activity list (from Ex. 6). What are similar / different? Talk about them.