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The trend of hospitalizations from MDMA have been rising steadily. Although it is rare, people do die from overdosing on Molly. Studies say around 50 deaths a year come from MDMA. More than 17 million Americans have used the drug.

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Ecstasy is the popular name for the illicit, recreational drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA. It is known by many other terms including "Molly," "E," and "X."

History of Ecstasy

Anton Kollisch, a chemist at the pharmaceutical company Merck, first discovered MDMA in Germany in 1912. Researchers were not interested in the drug itself, but instead used it to synthesize methylhydrastinine, a potential treatment for uterine bleeding.

The first major tests of MDMA for toxicity in animals were conducted at the University of Michigan in the 1950s for the US Army. In the mid 1970s, this compound came to the attention of a former chemist for the Dow chemical company named Alexander Shulgin, known as the "godfather of ecstasy," while he was researching a related psychoactive compound, MDA.

Shulgin and David Nichols from Perdue University published the first report on the subjective effects of MDMA in humans in 1978 and compared the drug to marijuana or magic mushrooms without hallucinations.

Their description of ecstasy's disinhibiting effects soon caught the interest of psychotherapists who viewed the drug as a potential tool to overcome patients' fears and increase their insight into their own emotions; however, MDMA was never approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or subjected to clinical trials.

Soon after its introduction into psychotherapy, some people soon began using MDMA for recreational purposes. Because it has a unique set of effects characteristic of both stimulant and hallucinogenic drugs, the name "ecstasy" was coined as a pithy description of the drug's effect on users.

MDMA's ability to produce the following effects is responsible for its popularity among users:

Feelings of euphoria.

Empathy.

Increased energy.

Mild hallucinations.

Ecstasy is a so-called "party drug" - like ketamine and GHB - and is especially associated with the nightclub and rave scenes. However, it also has many dangerous effects, especially when combined with other substances. Learn more about the Serious Effects of Ecstasy Use.

Who Answers?

Who's Abusing It?

Although MDMA was initially associated with white teenagers and young adults involved in the rave scene, the drug's popularity has grown significantly beyond this demographic group since the 1980s.

The results of a survey of 268 users from Australia, the US, and the United Kingdom indicate that ecstasy abuse is not specific to one gender, education level, or employment status; however, young adults still have the highest rates of use.

Consider the following statistics on abuse:

In 2013, over 17 million Americans reported having ever used ecstasy according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

The 2013 NSDUH also showed that the rate of MDMA use is highest among 18-25 year olds, with 12.8% reporting having ever tried it.

How many people have used ecstasy in their lifetime?

How many youth use ecstasy?

Although teen use of MDMA has decreased in the last decade, rates of use in the overall population have not changed much in recent years according to several different measures.

The numbers of people using ecstasy in the past month, using it in the past year, and the percentage of workers testing positive for the drug all show fairly stable levels from year to year.

How many people have used ecstasy in the past month?

How many people have used ecstasy in the past year?

Percentage of workforce with positive drug tests for ecstasy

General interest in the topic of MDMA, as determined by the number of Internet searches including the term "ecstasy," has steadily declined over the past 10 years both globally and in the US.

Steady rates of MDMA use over this time suggest that the decrease in searches on this topic may reflect greater acceptance or knowledge of the drug among the general public rather than any reduced enthusiasm among users.

Google Trends: Searches for ???ecstasy???

Global

USA

Internet searches for "ecstasy" were also fairly evenly distributed across the country without any regional disparities, except for an unusually high concentration of searches in California relative to other states.

The Ecstasy Market

MDMA is produced by clandestine laboratories throughout the world. The majority of ecstasy available in the US today is produced in Canada and the Netherlands, although the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has also identified a small number of production labs in the US.

The Cost of Ecstasy

The cost of the drug varies considerably across the globe, and prices are generally higher in North America than Europe. A single tablet of MDMA in the US typically contains 50-150 mg of drug and may cost as much as $50, though prices ranging from $10 to $25 are more common.

Street price of ecstasy

Ecstasy production

Production mainly occurs in Canada, primarily British Columbia, but also Ontario and Quebec. The vast majority of ecstasy production has been linked to ethnic Chinese groups who are importing MDP2P, the necessary precursor to Ecstasy from China. ( source)

Is It Illegal?

The DEA first announced it was investigating MDMA to determine whether it should be banned in 1982, and officially proposed scheduling it as a controlled substance on July 27, 1984. This proposal spurred a dramatic increase in the manufacture and distribution of ecstasy in the US that, in turn, led the DEA to issue an emergency Schedule I classification for MDMA in May 1985. This classification was made permanent in 1988 and remains in force today.

Schedule I controlled substances are defined as those with:

A high potential for abuse.

A lack of accepted safety even under medical supervision.

No currently accepted medical use.

Some psychotherapists and psychiatrists initially objected to the DEA's classification of MDMA, citing anecdotal use in their own practices. The classification has remained, however, since no clinical studies have ever been conducted to establish the safety and efficacy of ecstasy in the psychotherapy setting.

Legal Penalties of Using Ecstasy

As a Schedule I controlled substance, stiff federal penalties apply to anyone caught:

Manufacturing ecstasy.

Distributing the drug.

Using the drug.

Possession of MDMA is considered a felony and can result in any combination of:

Federal sentences for trafficking ecstasy, which generally includes cases in which an individual is found in possession of a large amount of the drug, can range from a low of several years in prison to a maximum of a life sentence.

Sentences are increased in cases where the sale of MDMA has resulted in death.

Individual states have also passed laws prohibiting the possession or sale of MDMA, and these state laws may be applied in addition to federal charges.

How Dangerous is It?

Both short-term and long-term ecstasy use can result in dangerous health effects, and emergency room visits related to use are common and on the rise in the US.

Ecstasy-related emergency room visits by people seeking detox services

Ecstasy-related emergency room visits

Treatment facility admissions for ecstasy

Two of the most common short-term adverse effects of MDMA use are:

The risk of these effects is heightened in settings such as rave parties or nightclubs, in which dancing can more quickly lead to dangerously low hydration levels and high temperatures.

Additionally, life-threatening and even fatal cases of hyponatremia (low sodium levels) have been reported in MDMA users who consumed large quantities of water to avoid dehydration, but lost excessive amounts of electrolytes through sweating.

MDMA produces its positive effects by altering levels of:

Serotonin.

Dopamine.

Other neurotransmitters that control mood.

In the long-term, memory impairment, anxiety, and depression have been reported in the days following moderate use of ecstasy. These mood changes can be worse in chronic users, and, in severe cases, may lead to suicidal ideation.

Emergency-room visits due to suicide attempts involving ecstasy

Finally, because the drug is illegal throughout the world, none of it is produced under the regulated, controlled conditions in which legal pharmaceuticals are manufactured, and the purity and quantity of MDMA found in ecstasy tablets can vary considerably.

The slang term "Molly" (short for "molecule") is used to refer to supposedly pure MDMA, but the DEA has reported that only 13% of Molly it has tested actually contains any MDMA at all.

Toxic contaminants and "fake" pills, which contain psychoactive substances other than MDMA, may be far more dangerous to users' health than genuine ecstasy. When individuals have a dangerous reaction to such pills, neither they nor medical personnel know what combinations of drugs have been ingested or their amounts, so treatment is much more difficult.

Purity levels of Ecstasy

If you have a problem with Ecstasy use, don't wait to do significant damage to your body before you stop. Call Who Answers? to speak to someone about how to begin your journey of recovery today.

Sources:

Meyer, J. (2013, Nov 21). 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): Current perspectives. Retrieved August 27, 2015 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3931692/

National Institute on Drug Abuse. MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly) Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/mdma-ecstasy-or-molly on November 2, 2015

Pentney, A. (n.d.). An Exploration of the History and Controversies Surrounding MDMA and MDA. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 213-221. Retrieved August 27, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=11718314

Inhalant Use in Lifetime, Past Year, and Past Month among Persons Aged 26 or Older, by Demographic Characteristics. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2015 from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabsPDFWHTML2013/Web/HTML/NSDUH-DetTabsSect1peTabs47to92-2013.htm

Ogeil, R., Rajaratnam, S., & Broadbear, J. (2013). Male and female ecstasy users: Differences in patterns of use, sleep quality and mental health outcomes. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 223-230. Retrieved August 27, 2015 from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/235774323_Male_and_female_ecstasy_users_Differences_in_patterns_of_use_
sleep_quality_and_mental_health_outcomes

Google Trends - Web Search interest - Worldwide, 2004 - present. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2015, from http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#q=ecstasy&geo=US&cmpt=q

DEA Drug Fact Sheet: Ecstasy or MDMA (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2015 from http://www.dea.gov/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Ecstacy.pdf

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Ecstasy is the popular name for the illicit, recreational drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA. It is known by many other terms including "Molly," "E," and "X." Anton Kollisch, a chemist at the pharmaceutical company Merck, first discovered MDMA in Germany in 1912.

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A teenager from a Mundelein overdosed on Molly at Lollapalooza. He was trying drugs for the first time at this festival and took too much and died. In the article it talks about overheating which is something that MDMA can affect which can lead to your body not being able to regulate itself which can lead to organ failure and in this case sadly, death.

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Melissa Kitzmiller has been staying away from the radio lately.

For the Mundelein mom, hearing commercials for Lollapalooza, the four-day music festival that returns to Chicago this week, remains too traumatic. Her son, Evan, died from a drug overdose during last year's festival in Grant Park.

"It's your worst nightmare as a parent," she said. "He kinda had it all. He had a lot of friends. He worked a job. He was on the honor roll at school. He had a lot going for him."

Evan Kitzmiller, 16, was found unresponsive Aug. 5, 2018, at the festival and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. He and a group of friends had taken trains from north suburban Mundelein to attend all four days of Lollapalooza.

While the reasons of how Evan Kitzmiller died wasn't immediately known, officials at the Cook County medical examiner's office eventually determined that toxic levels of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and a byproduct of ecstasy, MDA, nicknamed "Sally," caused his death, the office revealed recently.

In a interview earlier this month with Pioneer Press, Melissa and Andrew Kitzmiller said they routinely talked to their son about the potential dangers of drugs and alcohol, and say they were in constant contact with him throughout each day of Lollapalooza last year and each night when he returned home.

"As far as we know, this was the one and only time he might have tried drugs," said Andrew Kitzmiller. "He was with friends. We knew where he was, who he was with and he checked in with us as he was told."

When asked why Evan might have tried ecstasy, Andrew Kitzmiller said, "because that's what kids do. They make bad decisions all the time."

He said teenagers' mistakes, though, usually result in a ticket from police, a detention at school or being grounded by their parents.

"Even in this circumstance, had he not died, would we have been angry had we found out that he took ecstasy? Yes," Andrew Kitzmiller said, before pausing. "But it's not like it would have been the end of the world. I didn't even know you could die from ecstasy. It seems like such a fluke."

Some 160 concertgoers were taken to local hospitals during Lollapalooza last year, according to Chicago officials. The numbers reflected fewer medical emergencies than past Lollapalooza festivals.

Data published by the Illinois Hospital Association also shows that underage drinking is a leading cause for emergency room visits in Chicago during the days of Lollapalooza.

A public relations firm hired by Lollapalooza organizers to handle media inquiries also did not respond to requests for comment.

Aaron Weiner, director of addiction services at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville, said fatal overdoses of ecstasy are relatively rare.

Statistically, Weiner said overdose deaths from all forms of stimulants lag far behind alcohol and narcotics-related overdose deaths, but ecstasy, in particular, ranks low within its own classification.

"This is not something that happens a lot," Weiner said. "A big question in my mind is, 'Did he know he was taking this drug?'"

Weiner said putting drugs into food and beverages has become trendy - and is dangerous.

He said people who aren't professional chemists could unknowingly put too much in, which would be dangerous even to those who intend to get high but especially to those who don't know the food is spiked.

For those who knowingly take a drug, Weiner said, the effects of ecstasy are not immediate and can lead to confusion or impatience and result in someone consuming more.

Because ecstasy is a stimulant, Weiner said, there's a risk of overheating a given body organ or system from continuing to be active when your body would normally slow itself down and cool off.

Weiner said the human body typically cools itself by simultaneously distributing water and reducing activity.

He said that if the brain's call for reduced activity is being overridden by ecstasy, the continued need to cool off could result in drinking too much water.

Locally, Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther said his officers occasionally come across incidents involving ecstasy, but it's not as prevalent in the suburbs as other drugs. He agreed that drug infusions, such as edibles, are a growing problem.

"We see a lot of overdoses that involve people not knowing what they're taking, whether it's the quantity of drug being infused or it's a food product also laced with other drugs," Guenther said.

Regardless of how Evan came upon the drug, his parents have been left to pick up the pieces.

A photo of him sits on a mantle in their family room a year after his death, but many of his possessions have been given to his friends or put in storage for safekeeping.

"We talk about him often," Melissa Kitzmiller said. "We're not trying to pretend that he didn't exist. But some days are harder than others."

Evan's pride and joy was his Honda Civic, according to Andrew Kitzmiller.

Much like with his tickets to Lollapalooza, his parents said they made Evan work a job and earn money to contribute toward a car.

"We didn't agree with his decision to tint the windows," Andrew Kitzmiller said, chuckling through tears. "He bragged about that car to all of his friends."

The Kitzmillers said they kept the car for six months before eventually selling it.

Melissa Kitzmiller's former employer, 1-800-Flowers, also donated money to have a tree planted in Evan's honor at Memorial Park in Mundelein, where he often played basketball.

"It's so amazing, I love everything about that tree," Melissa Kitzmiller said. "It gives his friends a place to go."

Local restaurants sent the family meals in the weeks after Evan died, while friends and neighbors - both past and present - routinely visited throughout the year to help out, the Kitzmillers said.

"We've had a ton of support. People we wouldn't have expected," Melissa Kitzmiller said.

But the family had its share of critics.

Andrew Kitzmiller said judgmental people used social media to question their decision to let Evan travel to Chicago without parental supervision. Others found the Kitzmillers' phone number and called to accuse them of being bad parents.

"My phone exploded with people telling me what a horrible parent I was and how I deserved Evan to die," Melissa Kitzmiller recalled. "It was horrible."

The Kitzmillers have another son, and they already discouraged him from traveling with older cousins to a few Chicago museums earlier this summer.

"It's been a real struggle to not bubble-wrap child number two," Melissa Kitzmiller said.

Andrew Kitzmiller said the anxiety likely will heighten when their second son receives his driver's license.

"We're never going to be OK with what happened. No one would," Andrew Kitzmiller said. "But it's going to take time. There's no magic potion, and, I guess, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to healing."

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Family of Mundelein teen who died at Lollapalooza still shaken by his overdose: 'It's your worst nightmare as a parent'

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Melissa Kitzmiller has been staying away from the radio lately. For the Mundelein mom, hearing commercials for Lollapalooza, the four-day music festival that returns to Chicago this week, remains too traumatic. Her son, Evan, died from a drug overdose during last year's festival in Grant Park.

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It increases the activity of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain. It lasts around 5 hours. It increases your energy, and pleasure levels along with affecting your perception of time. Increases blood pressure and heart rate. There are negatives as well that it can affect your body temperature which can organ failure and death. It is linked with depression as well as memory loss and many more after affects.

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It is a synthetic drug which means it is created with man made chemicals rather than natural ingredients. It alters mood as well as perception.

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What is MDMA?

3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception (awareness of surrounding objects and conditions). It is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception.

MDMA was initially popular in the nightclub scene and at all-night dance parties ("raves"), but the drug now affects a broader range of people who more commonly call the drug Ecstasy or Molly.

How do people use MDMA?

People who use MDMA usually take it as a capsule or tablet, though some swallow it in liquid form or snort the powder. The popular nickname Molly (slang for "molecular") often refers to the supposedly "pure" crystalline powder form of MDMA, usually sold in capsules. However, people who purchase powder or capsules sold as Molly often actually get other drugs such as synthetic cathinones ("bath salts") instead (see " Added Risk of MDMA").

Some people take MDMA in combination with other drugs such as alcohol or marijuana.

How does MDMA affect the brain?

MDMA increases the activity of three brain chemicals:

Dopamine-produces increased energy/activity and acts in the reward system to reinforce behaviors

Norepinephrine-increases heart rate and blood pressure, which are particularly risky for people with heart and blood vessel problems

Serotonin-affects mood, appetite, sleep, and other functions. It also triggers hormones that affect sexual arousal and trust. The release of large amounts of serotonin likely causes the emotional closeness, elevated mood, and empathy felt by those who use MDMA.

Other health effects include:

nausea

muscle cramping

involuntary teeth clenching

blurred vision

chills

sweating

MDMA's effects last about 3 to 6 hours, although many users take a second dose as the effects of the first dose begin to fade. Over the course of the week following moderate use of the drug, a person may experience:

irritability

impulsiveness and aggression

depression

sleep problems

anxiety

memory and attention problems

decreased appetite

decreased interest in and pleasure from sex

It's possible that some of these effects may be due to the combined use of MDMA with other drugs, especially marijuana.

What are other health effects of MDMA?

High doses of MDMA can affect the body's ability to regulate temperature. This can lead to a spike in body temperature that can occasionally result in liver, kidney, or heart failure or even death.

In addition, because MDMA can promote trust and closeness, its use-especially combined with sildenafil (Viagra ®)-may encourage unsafe sexual behavior. This increases people's risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis.

Read more about drug use and HIV/AIDS in DrugFacts: HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse

Read more about drug use and hepatitis.

Added Risk of MDMA

Adding to MDMA's risks is that pills, capsules, or powders sold as Ecstasy and supposedly "pure" Molly may contain other drugs instead of or in addition to MDMA. Much of the Molly seized by the police contains additives such as cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine, over-the-counter cough medicine, or synthetic cathinones ("bath salts"). These substances may be extremely dangerous if the person does not know what he or she is taking. They may also be dangerous when combined with MDMA. People who purposely or unknowingly combine such a mixture with other substances, such as marijuana and alcohol, may be putting themselves at even higher risk for harmful health effects.

Is MDMA addictive?

Research results vary on whether MDMA is addictive. Experiments have shown that animals will self-administer MDMA-an important indicator of a drug's abuse potential-although to a lesser degree than some other drugs such as cocaine.

Some people report signs of addiction, including the following withdrawal symptoms:

fatigue

loss of appetite

depression

trouble concentrating

Does MDMA Have Value in Therapy?

MDMA was first used in the 1970s as an aid in psychotherapy (mental disorder treatment using "talk therapy"). The drug did not have the support of clinical trials (studies using humans) or approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 1985, The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) labeled MDMA as an illegal drug with no recognized medicinal use. However, some researchers remain interested in its value in psychotherapy when given to patients under carefully controlled conditions. MDMA is currently in clinical trials as a possible treatment aid for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); for anxiety in terminally ill patients; and for social anxiety in autistic adults. Recently, the FDA gave MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD a Breakthrough Therapy designation. More information on MDMA research can be found by contacting sponsors of various MDMA studies listed on clinicaltrials.gov.

How can people get treatment for addiction to MDMA?

There are no specific medical treatments for MDMA addiction. Some people seeking treatment for MDMA addiction have found behavioral therapy to be helpful. Scientists need more research to determine how effective this treatment option is for addiction to MDMA.

Points to Remember

3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception. It is chemically similar to stimulants and hallucinogens.

MDMA is commonly called Ecstasy or Molly.

People who use MDMA typically take it as a capsule or tablet. Many people take it in combination with other drugs.

MDMA acts by increasing the activity of three brain chemicals: dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.

Effects include increased energy, distorted perception, involuntary teeth clenching, dangerously high body temperature, and depression.

Many people are unaware that Ecstasy and supposedly "pure" Molly also often contain not only pure MDMA but other drugs that may be particularly dangerous when mixed with MDMA.

Research results vary on whether MDMA is addictive. Some people report signs of addiction.

Some people seeking treatment for MDMA addiction have found behavioral therapy to be helpful. There are no specific medical treatments for MDMA addiction.

Learn More

For more information about MDMA, visit:

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MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse

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3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception (awareness of surrounding objects and conditions). It is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception.