Ask Keir: Ecstasy

Ask Keir is a column aiming to answer all your health questions. If you want to know about that funny looking lump that won’t go away, why your GP won’t give you those antibiotics or anything at all to do with health get in touch at: [email protected]

All questions will of course be kept confidential and anonymous

Q: Hi, I’m really enjoying going out in Manchester but the only thing I find a bit weird is that we went to the Warehouse Project in December and quite a few people were taking Es? Essentially I just want to know if they’re safe for me to take or not?

A: Well the short answer to that question is we don’t know. Even with the thousands of studies done on the effects of Ecstasy (aka MDMA, MD, pills etc.) there is no conclusive evidence of any long term positive or negative effects. The findings range from it having cancer fighting properties to them causing long term depression and anxiety.

The main short term effects are

– An energy buzz that makes people feel alert, alive, in tune with their surroundings, and with sounds and colours often experienced as more intense

– Users often develop temporary feelings of love and affection for the people they’re with and for the strangers around them

– Short-term risks of ecstasy can include feeling anxious or getting panic attacks, and developing confused episodes, paranoia or even psychosis

– Some people have been known to take another `E’ when they haven’t yet felt the expected `high’ of their first `E’. The danger then is that both Es kick in at once and you’ve got a double dose of effects to deal with.

The most stand out danger with ecstasy is that more often than not it is `cut’ with something else.

This `something else’ can be another recreational drug such as cocaine or ketamine but it’s much more likely to be something cheaper like talcum powder, in some cases even rat poison has been found, so those peddling the drugs can make the ecstasy go further and make more money for their pockets.

Another thought to take into consideration is that ecstasy is a class A drug and if caught by police in possession of it you can get up to 7 years in jail and a fine. Caught supplying it can get you life imprisonment. Any form of prosecution can limit your future job opportunities and may affect you being able to travel to some countries like the USA.

So all in all the risks go further than those to your health.