Ecstasy Usage Amongst Teenagers - Essay Example

Ecstasy usage amongst teenagers al Affiliation Ecstasy usage amongst teenagers Introduction The MDMA or ecstasy is a drug that has often been associated with the “all night parties” often identified with teenagers, and thus the nickname “club drug”. Its effects are like those of other stimulants. The drug gives individual misguided feelings. Unlike tobacco or marijuana, MDMA is man-made. A national survey in 2007 on Drug use and health showed that an estimated 503,000 Americans aged 13 or older have used ecstasy. In addition, its use among those between 12 to 17 years of age had increased by the subsequent year making the rate of youth addiction to the substance worrying. With this overview, this paper will analyze ecstasy in relation to the teenage use, its causes, effects, and suggested remedies for those affected. Basic information of ecstasy Ecstasy is commonly referred to using a variety of names that include Adam, E, eccie, X, the love drug, disco biscuits, the hug or the love drug; however, the correct name for ecstasy is methylenedioxy methamphetamine or MDMA in short. In its pure form, ecstasy is a crystalline white powder. It is usually swallowed in capsule or tablet form. A normal dose is approximately 100-120 mg. The drug was first manufactured as appetite suppressants in Germany in 1914. Psychiatrists used it in the 1950s as a treatment medication for increasing therapist understanding of patients by making the patient reveal information about them. After the pill is taken the effects are felt 30-45 minutes later. The user may undergo a period of confusion and disorientation. Moreover, after an hour and some minutes later the drug users reach their utmost high. After 4-6 hours after being taken, the effects begin to wear off as it ends. In 1985, ecstasy was declared as an illegal drug (Wood & Synovitz, 2001). Many users consider ecstasy to be an easy to control and safe drug, but it carries risks like all drugs. The fact that it is illegal indicates that no regulations are placed on its distribution and manufacture. This means that users might lose their money when buying the drug because things like cut glass, rat poison and heroin often show up in the market in the pretext that they are ecstasy. The interaction of the prescribed treatment that the user is on has been identified as the main source for the ecstasy related deaths (Wood & Synovitz, 2001). Ecstasy uses are likely to experience heatstroke and dehydration. Taking ecstasy, while dancing in an overcrowded environment, increases the user’s risks of heatstroke and dehydration because the drug increases the temperature of the body by a few degrees and prevents the body from controlling its own temperature. The body loses as much as over three liters of water in hours when it overheats. Dehydration occurs if the lost fluid is not replaced with water. The symptoms that are commonly associated with heatstroke include cramps on the back or limbs, failure to sweat, fainting, headaches, vomiting and confusion. Ecstasy contains a mind stimulating effect and it is a mood enhancer. This is the reason why users seem capable of dancing all night. The drug’s effects on the body might include jaw clenching, dryness of mouth, sweating, teeth grinding, diarrhea, restlessness, hyper-activeness and dizziness. MDMA also increases blood pressure and heart rate. Because ecstasy destroys serotonin that is maintained in the brain, it can cause permanent damage in the brain. An after effect of taking ecstasy to the user is that it leaves them depressed a few days later. Ecstasy functions through releasing large volumes of serotonin and other brain chemicals from certain cells of the brain. This creates the fuzzy and hyperactive feelings the users experience while under the drug. Discharging such large volumes of serotonin halts the supply that the brain stores and for these supplies to be replaced it takes a while (Brust, 2010). Rave Culture and its relationship with ecstasy A rave can be described as a large festival or party featuring routine by DJs or disc jockeys and occasionally live entertainers who mainly play (EDM) electronic dance music. Globally, the rave scene is famous for its extreme usage of drug substances, such as LSD, MDMA and mushrooms. The rave culture originated from the Chicago, United States, during the mid-1980s when acid house music parties were held. Scholars have tried to explain that the rave scene emerged as a response to the times political ideology was dominant. In some way, it might have been triggered by the economic depression that caused some strife and the bored youth who wanted to have some form of enjoyment had to find a way of doing it. The ecstasy drug motivated the emergence and development of rave subculture. Ecstasy turned complete strangers into friends and made it possible for them to party all night. The rave scene would probably never have happened if it were not for the ecstasy drug. The substance probably started the largesse subculture in the entire history of Britain (Zervogiannis, Bester & Wiechers, 2003). Dance music combined with ecstasy created a high and newly pleasing youth experience for the teenagers. Gender, class, ethnicity and age were irrelevant. Everyone at the dance floor came together with a single shared objective, which was to have fun. Analysts point out that within the rave culture there is no hierarchy. Those youth who were part of the culture did not actually have a common factor among them, they originated from all types of backgrounds, from white collar workers, travellers, university graduates to high school drop-outs; all connected together by drugs and music (Schwartz & Miller, 2007) During the raves, the teenage MDMA users often become dehydrated due to the hot environment and vigorous dancing. It might not be taken as a serious thing, but when ecstasy affects the ability of the body to control its temperature, it can result in serious overheating implications, known as hyperthermia. In turn, it can lead to severe kidney and heart problems or in a serious scenario death. When the MDMA doses are consecutively taken in succession or if taken in high doses to maintain the high, the implications can be extremely dangerous. High doses or levels of the substance in the bloodstream can affect the ability of the heart to maintain its normal heartbeat and increase the risk of seizures (Song, et al., 2006). Parental control Research has shown that in drug use, parental control and care are important mitigation and promoting factors. A research focused on analyzing the alleged parental control and warmth in random post-adolescent survey on polydrug/ecstasy users, and examining their connection to strictness of drug use in comparison to non-users showed that a larger number of polydrug/ecstasy users considered their parents neglectful (Palmer, & Daniluk, 2007). The non-users endorsed a modal style that was authoritative. There was significantly lower lifetime average dose and consumption of ecstasy among those whose parents practiced a modal system that was authoritative, as compared to those who described their parents being neglectful (Montgomery, Fisk & Craig, 2008). In addition, compared again to those who saw their parents as neglectful, the youth with authoritarian pasts had considerably minimal consumption of cocaine and ecstasy during their youth. They also had a lower consumption level of drugs such as cannabis and cocaine. Research also shows that contrary to expectation, there is no major connection between the use of ecstasy and perceived parental warmth. However, parental intervention remains an important factor in addressing the increasing vice (Suchman, Rounsaville, DeCoste & Luthar, 2007) Alternative treatment Ecstasy detox is an alternate form of treatment that is different from the common rehab and therapy treatments. Ecstasy detox that is medically monitored is often the ideal approach for people struggling to overcome their ecstasy addiction. This detox can be used with medication to manage ecstasy withdrawal symptoms and the psychological impact to achieve a successful treatment program. A quality unit detox program can offer administration of ecstasy detox medication for treating the amphetamine withdrawal symptoms often seen in patients. Drug detox that is medically managed can help a patient deal with cravings, rid the body of cravings, and handle the ecstasy withdrawals emotions (Freye, 2009). Conclusion In contemporary societies, it is agreeable that MDMA is a popular drug among the young adults and the adolescents. Contrary to the misguided beliefs that are associated with the drug, ecstasy is an illegal drug and its effects have shown to be just as lethal to the use as analyzed. The main factors that have been found to influence the youth towards ecstasy use include parenting styles and social influence. These are aspects that can be addressed through improved communication, counseling and setting priorities right. Even though there are several mitigation strategies for the ecstasy problem, in my opinion, the most appropriate one would be keeping the youth busy, to avoid the peer pressure and idleness that are associated with the drug use. References Brust, J. (2010). Substance abuse and movement disorders. Movement Disorders, 25(13). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mds.22599/pdf Freye, E, (2009). Pharmacology and Abuse of Cocaine, Amphetamines, Ecstasy and Related Designer Drugs: A comprehensive review on their mode of action, treatment of abuse and intoxication. London: Springer http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=OTAlolM3XlwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Pharmacology+and+Abuse+of+Cocaine,+Amphetamines,+Ecstasy+and+Related++Designer+Drugs:+A+comprehensive+review+on+their+mode+of+action,+treatment+of+abuse+and+intoxication.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_i1jU8GqGYn07AbbrIHYCQ&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Pharmacology%20and%20Abuse%20of%20Cocaine%2C%20Amphetamines%2C%20Ecstasy%20and%20Related%20%20Designer%20Drugs%3A%20A%20comprehensive%20review%20on%20their%20mode%20of%20action%2C%20treatment%20of%20abuse%20and%20intoxication.&f=false Montgomery, C., Fisk, J. E. & Craig, L. (2008). The effects of perceived parenting style on the propensity for illicit drug use: the importance of parental warmth and control. Drug and alcohol review, 27(6), 640-649. Palmer, R. S., &Daniluk, J. C. (2007). The Perceived Role of Others in Facilitating or Impeding Healing from Substance Abuse. Canadian Journal of Counseling/ Revue Canadienne de Counseling, 41(4). http://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/cjc/index.php/rcc/article/view/341/165 Schwartz, R. H., & Miller, N. S. (1997). MDMA (ecstasy) and the rave: a review. Pediatrics, 100(4), 705-708. Song, B., Castillo-Garsow, M., R ios-Soto, K. R., Mejran, M., Henso, L., & Castillo-Chavez, C. (2006). Raves, clubs and ecstasy: the impact of peer pressure. Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 3(1), 249. https://math.la.asu.edu/~chavez/CCCPUB/Raves,%20clubs%20and%20ecstasy%20the%20impact%20of%20peer%20pressure.pdf Suchman, N. E., Rounsaville, B., DeCoste, C., & Luthar, S. (2007). Parental control, parental warmth, and psychosocial adjustment in a sample of substance-abusing mothers and their school-aged and adolescent children. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 32(1), 1-10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1850987/ Wood, R. & Synovitz L. B. (2001). The agony of ecstasy, Education Digest; May2001, 66 (9), 46-51 Zervogiannis, F. H., Bester, G., & Wiechers, E. (2003). The “E” in Rave: A profile of young ecstasy (MDMA) users. South AfricaBrust, J. (2010). Journal of Psychology, 33(3), 162-169. Read More