Drug Education Student Booklet

26 IMMEDIATE LONG TERM ● Dilated (enlarged) pupils ● Increased heart rate and blood pressure ● Increased energy ● Feeling of euphoria (a ‘high’) ● Teeth grinding and jaw clenching ● Anxiety and panic attacks ● Overheating and dehydration (when the body loses more water than it takes in) ● A comedown* ● Nausea, vomiting and dizziness ● Visual distortions (things looking weird or different) ● Paranoia and psychosis* ● Serotonin syndrome* ● Stroke ● Dependence* ● Mental health problems (such as depression and anxiety) ● Impairments to memory and attention ● Liver problems WHAT IS IT? MDMA/ecstasy is the common name for the drug methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). ‘Party drugs’ is a term used to describe a range of illegal drugs sold as tablets (‘pills’) or capsules (‘caps’). MDMA/ecstasy is usually sold as a pill or capsule, although it can also come in powder or crystal form. When sold as a pill, a logo is typically stamped on the tablet, but this is no guarantee of quality or purity. For example, two pills that look the same may have very different effects as they can have different ingredients. Analysis of drugs sold as MDMA/ecstasy in Australia shows that these contain a wide range of substances, and some contain no MDMA at all. Some substances found in these drugs can be toxic, even at low doses and even pure MDMA can be dangerous. MDMA/ecstasy is also known as E, pills, pingers, molly, love drug, disco biscuits, XTC and eccy. ANALYSIS IN 2016/2017 BY THE AUSTRALIAN CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE COMMISSION INDICATES THE MEDIAN PURITY OF MDMA SAMPLES FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 2% AND 53% ACROSS AUSTRALIA. * See Glossary on page 36 MDMA/ECSTASY EFFECTS OF MDMA/ECSTASY MDMA/ecstasy can take effect within 60 minutes of initially taking it. However, the time taken to have an effect can vary. Sometimes people mistakenly think the first pill they took isn’t working and take more – this can be very dangerous. Effects of MDMA/ecstasy vary, but may include: