"Squirming in Ecstacy" Editor's Note: This article appeared in the U.C. Santa Cruz daily newspaper earlier this year. It is not meant to be a factual report; rather, it was intended to give the reader a little general information about the topic. One night last quarter student M was innocently doing his homework in the Stevenson Library when he happened to look out the window and behold a group of about 20 students innocently squirming together in the lower Stevenson quad. Student M innocently continued to watch this spectacle, while the squirmers innocently continuen to squirm together for more than half an hour. Observers and participants alike were much satisfied with the event. "It was neat," said student M. "But it wasn't anything sexual," qualified student D, who happened to be doing the innocent squirming. "They were all hugging and touching each other," recalled student M in amazement. "It just, like, makes you really sensitive to epidermis," explained student A, who was also taking part in the inocent squirming. "All you want to do is touch each other's epidermis." Yes, this did really happen, and these are REAL students speaking. And no, this is not an example of what narrative evaluatioons do to the student' intellectual capacities. What we are talking about here is the drug MDMA (3,4, methylenedioxymethamphetamine) - or Ecstasy, as it is more commonly called. During the last year, MDMA has garnered natioonal media as the drug that LSD should have been. Although there is as yet no research concerning possible adverse longterm effects of MDMA, enthusiastic users already know about the drug's immediate effects: it induces euphoria, breaks down psychological and social barriers, heightens physical sensatioon, increases emotional receptivity, and generally fosters a sense of rapport between people. Unlike psychedelics, however, MDMA is not hallucinogenic, nor does it seem to interfere with normal thinking and functioning. So it's reputed to offer everything one could want from a drug, and less. And now the ultimate touchy-feely drug has come to what is oft-touted as the nation's last sanctuary of touchy-feeliness. "I'd say MDMA has become the most popular drug on campus since the end of last year," reported student X. "Now there are at least eight people I've heard of who are supplying MDMA on campus." MDMA sells for about $7-15 for dose (125 milligrams) these days and is usually in the form of a white powder taken mxed with juice or water, though it also comes in capsule form. MDMA is very easy to synthesize- any chemistry major could do it- and rumor has it that some MDMA may even be manufactured in town. Apparently the preferred mode of experiencing MDMA is with friends, in large or small groups, and a lot of hugging and touching goes on. Surprisingly perhaps, these group encounters do not devolve (or evolve, depending on your point of view) into wild orgies. All sources reported that MDMA did not inflame their sexual temperaments. So much for the myth that it is an aphrodisiac. There seem to be two general schools of thought regarding the use of MDMA. Recreatioonal users turn to the drug for fun- much as you would jog, play poker, have a dinner party, or go camping in yur RV. Personal-growth users, on the other hand, use MDMA as a tol for personal insight. The recreatioonal types said mainly that MDMA is "fun," and that iT's not as strong as MDA. They describe MDMA as being more "cool" and mental, as compared to the hot, speedy, and bodyrocking MDA. One student even went so far as to say that "MDMA is a waste of time when you compare it to drugs like LSD and MDA... It's reputatioon is overblown. I find that it doesn't lead anyone to do things they couldn't do without the drug if they wanted to." Another recreatioonal type added that "the first time you take it, you have stars in your eyes. All you have to do is take the dug and sit back and let the drug take you. But later, after, after you've taken it 4 or 5 times, you have to get psyched up for it to have any real effect." Personal-growth types, however, are a little more nurturant of their practices. "I don't like those party scenes," said student T. "There are lots of phony people around who are trying to fake an experience because they've heard MDMA is the "Love Drug.'" She prefers to take it only with a few close friends, to enhance communicatioon. Student C thinks likewise. He first took MDMA a few weeks ago when he was having trouble getting along with a friend. And the cure worked: they were able to work out their differences. "Instead of always blocking and analyzing what someone is saying t you," he explained, "when you're on MDMA you have a much better communication process. You open up and understand things more clearly. I know that sounds really hokey to someone who hasn't done MDMA," he added, "but it's really true." Both recreational and personal growth types reported no real "bad trips," though a few users reported instances in which they felt no effect. Of the few MDMA experiences that could be ranked as "depressing," all occured when the person taking the drug was either alone, in bad company, or was in a bad mood to begin with. So, as with so many other drugs, the MDMA high all depends upon wo you take it with, and how you feel when you take it. Few after and side-effects were reported. One student mentioned occasional alcohol-like hangovers, though he attributed these to impure MDMA. Another student said he felt slightly anxious and unsettled for about one week after the fifth time he took MDMA, but said it could have been from something else. On the whole, however, most users said that not only are after-effects minimal, but in some cases the euphoria or insight of the high lingered with them for days. Unfortunately, there is little scientific information available about the effects of MDMA. Although some psychiatrists and therapists have been giving the drug to patients to aid doctor-patient rapport since the 1970's, little research has been done on MDMA. Once psychiatrist who has done a few of the published studies on the drug reported that the benefits of MDMA include euphoria, increased energy, greater self-esteem, and less use of alcohol and other drugs. However, MDMA is chemically quite similar to MDA and other methamphetamines, which are known to damage brain cells containing the neurotransmitters, sorotonin and dopamine. Serotin is involved in regulating sleep, sexual behavior, mood, aggression, and sensitivity to pain, while dopamine is involved in initiating movement. Research shows that even a single dose of MDA seriously debletes serotonin levels for at least two weeks, and methamphetamines cause the degeneration of dopamine. Wether MDMA has these same effects has not been determined. At any rate, when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) got wind of the fact that MDMA had hit the streets, it immediately put a one-year moratorium on the drug. Until this coming June, then, MDMA will be classified as a Schedule 1 illegal substance, along with other drugs such as heroin, LSD, and MDA. These substances are declared by the DEA to have no accepted medical use, and a high potential for abuse. Naturally, some therapists don't agree that MDMA has no medical use, while users among the public don't agree that pleasure implies abuse. But the question of abuse really revolves around over-use. Everyone knows that too much of anything can be harmful, and MDMA is no exception. In the Haight-Ashbury, for instance, de-tox clinics have reported cases of people taking 10-15 doses of MDMA in one day. And right here in Santa Cruz one student reported seeing friends ingest five doses in one sitting-- and with unpleasurable results. UCSC Drug and Alcohol Counselor Ray Launier said he's seen three students this year come in with complaints about MDMA aftereffects. Consequently he has initiated a survey of student experiences and attitudes related to MDMA. Although only Porter ad Kresge colleges have been polled to date, Launier said that so far, the findings reveal very few reported side-effects. Launier cautioned that conclusions should not be drawn too swiftly. Comparing the enamored reports of the therapeutic and insight- bestowing qualities of MDMA to similar reports about cocaine and LSD when those drugs first appeared, Launier said, "We've seen this situation again and again: initially we hear nothing but positive reports, and then later we hear about harmful side-effects. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Parking Lot BBS (415) 525-2716 -----------------------------------------------------------------  [17]:[12:23pm] (?=Help) Command : ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ Ý° The CORPORATE HQ of SHAWN-DA-LAY BOY PRODUCTIONS, inc. °Þ Ý°  Tfile Distribution Center / MASS Megs  °Þ Ý° 415/236/2371 RoR - Alucard 415/236/2371 °Þ Ý° Dr. Murdock ~ Sir Death ~ Dark Nite ~ RatSnatcher ~ Pressed Rat°Þ Ý°Shawn-Da-Lay Boy Production Inc. 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