Clandestine laboratories operating throughout Western Europe, primarily
the Netherlands and Belgium, manufacture
significant quantities of Ecstasy
in tablet, capsule, or powder form.
Ecstasy traffickers consistently use brand names and logos as marketing
tools and to distinguish their product from that of competitors. The logos
are produced to coincide with holidays or special events. Among the more popular
logos are butterflies, lightning bolts, and four-leaf clovers.
Ecstasy-related emergency room incidents increased nationwide from 250 in
1994, to 637 in 1997, to 1,142 in 1998, to 2,850 in 1999.
A 500%
increase in Ecstasy use between 1993 and 1998 has been documented
by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Researchers added to the agony of Ecstasy by reporting in the Sept. 27 issue
of Science that, in monkeys, at least, even one night''s indulgence in the
drug may increase the odds of getting Parkinson''s disease.
Ecstasy is addicting. People build a tolerance for the drug over time, spurring
some users to take increasingly more pills to achieve the same high.
Many young people believe Ecstasy is a harmless fun drug. However, a growing
body of recent research suggests that Ecstasy is harmful to humans and can
have devastating consequences. Ecstasy has been linked to brain damage resulting
in depression, memory loss and other learning impairments.
Two weeks after individuals took Ecstasy, brain imaging showed a decrease
in their brains'' blood flow as compared to earlier imaging prior to use.
Ecstasy is a lucrative business. Relatively cheap to make overseas, it can
be sold for a substantial profit in the United States. Just one Ecstasy pill
costs 15 to 25 cents to make in Europe but can be sold in the United States
for $20 to $50. As a result, officials have seen an astronomical increase
in Ecstasy trafficking. According to USA Today, in 2000, the DEA and other
agencies confiscated more than 11 million pills, up from a few hundred thousand
in 1995.
Ecstasy is similar to mescaline and amphetamines in that it binds to the
serotonin transmitters in the brain and destroys them. This affects the ability
to
regulate moods, appetite and sleep. Ecstasy users also lose the ability
to regulate body temperature; they grind and clench their teeth, and their
memory becomes impaired. When Ecstasy use is combined with a night of dancing
in a packed, hot club, there have been instances of dehydration syndrome,
a situation in which someone actually ‘cooks’ from the inside.”