3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), also known as ecstasy or Molly, is a synthetic drug that acts as both a stimulant and hallucinogen. It was first used in psychotherapy in the 1970s but became illegal in 1985. MDMA increases levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain, causing feelings of increased energy and pleasure. While some research has indicated MDMA may help treat conditions like PTSD, its use also poses neurological, physical, and mental health risks. National surveys find around 12% of Americans ages 18-25 have used MDMA, though less than 1% report using it in the past year.

1. 3,4-methylenedioxy-
methamphetamine
Samantha Comeau

2. What is 3,4-methylenedioxy-
methamphetamine?
 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine is a synthetic
drug
 Has the ability to change the users mood and awareness
 A stimulant and hallucinogen
 First used in the 1970s in psychotherapy
 It was legal until 1985
 May help with post-traumatic stress disorder and
anxiety
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug Free World

3. Other names for 3,4-methylenedioxy-
methamphetamine
 MDMA
 Molly
 Ecstasy
 E
 X
 Love Drug
National Institute on Drug Abuse

4. MDMA Usage
 Can be ingested multiple ways:
 Pills
 Injection
 Snorted (starting as a powder)
 Drinking the liquid form
 Usually used with other drugs
 National Institute on Drug Abuse

5. Population
 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Trends:
 Females are more likely to use MDMA than males
 12% of people age 18-25 have used MDMA at one point
 0.7% of those users used in the past year
 0.2% of those users used in the past month
 6.4% of people 26 or older
 0.5% of those users used in the past year
 0.1% of those users used in the past month
Wu

6. MDMA Affects
 Neurological:
 The drug causes an increase in:
 Dopamine: leads to increased energy
 Norepinephrine: increase in hearth rate and blood pressure
 Serotonin: leads to changes in mood, appetite and sleep
 Physical:
 Cramping
 Sweating
 Chills
 Problems with:
 Vision
 Memory & attention
National Institute on Drug Abuse

7. After using MDMA
 Affects last for three to six hours
 Science cannot prove that MDMA is addictive
 Some people, not all, display withdrawal symptoms
 Many people will use MDMA multiple times in a row
 When their original high starts to lessen, they will ingest the
drug again to continue and strengthen their high
National Institute on Drug Abuse

8. Safety & Precautions
 On the streets, drug dealers use the name Ecstasy or
Molly
 Usually it is not pure MDMA
 Other drugs may be mixed with MDMA, which makes it
even more dangerous to use
 Rise in serotonin increases feeling of closeness
 Leads to a rise of STDs and HIV/AIDS
National Institute on Drug Abuse

9. Quote & Discussion
 My favorite quote from the National Institute on Drug
Abuse was; “It (Ecstasy) is chemically similar to both
stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of
increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and
distorted sensory and time perception.”
The quote stuck out for me because it makes ecstasy sound like a
relatively positive thing. With the multiple “positive” side affects caused by
MDMA, what are some ways that we can teach people that using Ecstasy
and/or other drugs is not worth the risk? How can we help lower the
numbers of the population, especially age 18-25, who use Ecstasy?
National Institute on Drug Abuse

10. Thank you!
Drug Free World. What is Ecstasy? Retrieved March 25, 2016,
from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/ecstasy/what-
is-ecstasy.html
National Institute on Drug Abuse. DrugFacts: MDMA
(ecstasy/Molly) Retrieved March 25, 2016, from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/mdma-
ecstasymolly
Wu, P., et al. Ecstasy use among U.S. adolescents from 1999
to 2008. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 112(1-2):33-38,
2010.