Pubdate: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 Source: Diamondback, The (MD Edu) Copyright: 2002 Maryland Media, Inc. Contact: http://www.diamondbackonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/758 Note: is also listed as email contact Author: Logan Cooper Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) NEW UNIVERSITY STUDY LINKS ECSTASY USE TO HARDER DRUGS Rave clubgoers are twice as likely to use marijuana, cocaine and other drugs if they currently use ecstasy, according to a recent university study. The study, conducted by the university's Center for Substance Abuse Research, found 89 percent of the 96 club patrons interviewed said they had used methylenedioxy-methamphetamine - more commonly known as ecstasy - at some point in their lives, and 20 percent said they had used ecstasy within two days of the interview. Their reports were confirmed by saliva tests. The study also found that 81 percent of the sample group had used marijuana, and 51 percent had used powdered cocaine. Ecstasy users also were more likely to have used crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and PCP than non-ecstasy users, according to the study. Amelia Arria, one of the study's authors and deputy director of research at CESAR, was surprised by the study's findings. "We thought we would find that many people who use ecstasy choose it because they perceive it to be less dangerous than other drugs. But our findings suggest the opposite - that ecstasy users are more likely to be multiple drug users who might need more intensive intervention ... We were surprised at the magnitude of multiple drug use," Arria said in a recently released statement. Arria also authored a 1998 survey on drug use among university students that found students who had used ecstasy were substantially more likely to have lower grades than non-ecstasy users. The finding showed 14 percent of ecstasy users had below a 2.5 grade point average, compared to 4 percent of non-ecstasy users. "Comprising 10 percent of the student population, it is clear that ecstasy users constitute a group of students at high risk for drug-related problems," the study reported. Ecstasy users are at risk for memory loss, paranoia, depression, cardiac complications and kidney failure. The U.S. Sentencing Commission last year drastically increased penalties for selling ecstasy, making the punishment for importing or selling ecstasy more severe than those for distributing powder cocaine. Ecstasy comes mainly from Belgium, Romania, the Netherlands and other European countries, according to a report from the National Drug Intelligence Center. Ecstasy causes the brain to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that controls mood. Users often experience a state of euphoria, enhanced mental and emotional clarity and heightened sensory perceptions. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens