The Ecstasy Debate: Weighing The Good And The Bad :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The offer Debate Weighing The Good And The Bad ever since its first synthesis 80 years ago, the seemingly harmless constitution of the drug ecstasy has been the subject of such(prenominal) debate. While many scientists argon convinced that there is a darker side to the euphoria-inducing pill than meets the eye, the millions of users insist that no such danger exists. In fact, while I conducted my research on the subject, I discovered that to some extent, the users concept is true - ecstasy does seem to be far less harmful than any of the other popularized drugs of the century. scarce why, then, in 1985 was this limitlessly pleasurable drug issuelawed (1), with such a imperfect case against it? Is the scientific worlds overly cautious attitude preventing us from experiencing a limitless pleasure unlike anything we have ever known? These were the questions I sought to have answered. 3,4 - Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA as it has come to be called, is a psychoactive dru g with a chemical structure uniform to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline, and demonstrates both psychedelic and stimulant effectuate (3). It was first synthesized by a German company in 1912 to be used to help develop more advanced therapeutic drugs (1). In the 1970s, MDMA was used to facilitate psychotherapy by a grouping of therapists in the United States (5). Not until the 1980s and early 1990s did the drug gain worldwide popularity as the illicit ecstasy (5), the drug that would ultimately stir a wave of excitement among young people everywhere. deification use, which saw its roots in the hippie generation of the 1970s, has since grown exponentially. Ecstasy tablets confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Administration increased from 13,342 in 1996 to 950,000 in 2000 (4). gibe to a study conducted by the University of Michigans Institute for Social Research in 1998, 4.3 percent of 8th graders, 7.3 percent of 10th graders, and 11 percent of twelfth g raders report they had used MDMA at some point (4). However, by far the age group with the heaviest use (1.4 million Americans) of the drug was reported for those between 18 and 25 years of age (4). So much ecstasy is entering our country at present that the Customs dish up has developed an ecstasy command center and is training dogs to sniff out the drug (2). What is it that lures so many people to experiment with ecstasy and tantalizes them to regard more?