CAN I GET ADDICTED TO ECSTASY?

Is ecstasy addictive? Many think so. But even if a user doesn’t become addicted, four very real dangers exist:

DANGER No. 1: Most ecstasy is only 40% pure so there is always a risk that any pill or gelatinous capsule of ecstasy may have been “cut” (combined) with other drugs such as heroin or cocaine, which are addictive.

	“Ecstasy, it’s the direct road to hard drugs. We were a group of thirteen friends who were more or less healthy. We all ended as drug addicts. Eight did detoxification cures, three are in prison and two are dead.” Peter, drug addict(1)

DANGER No. 2: One has to continually increase the amount of the drug one takes in order to feel the same effects. Users say the effect of ecstasy is greatly reduced after the first dose. And as a person takes more of the drug, the negative side effects also increase.

Because the desired effect from using the drug diminishes, a person often then tries other drugs which are even more dangerous and do cause the user to become addicted.

DANGER No. 3: Users feel there is sometimes a need to use other drugs such as heroin or cocaine to help cope with the mental and physical pain that results after one “comes down” from ecstasy; 92% of those who take ecstasy also abuse other, even harder drugs.

A person often then tries other drugs which are even more dangerous and do cause the user to become addicted.

DANGER No. 4: The false idea that a person only feels good with ecstasy leads to a desire to take it more often than just at raves and techno parties; 67% of those who use the drug want to continue taking it, despite having bad experiences.