Drugs from a diffrent angle

The effects

* An E gives people an energy buzz that makes them feel alert and alive.
* Ecstasy makes people feel in tune with their surroundings – sounds and colours are more intense.
* Users often feel great love for the people they're with and the strangers around them. On its own, it’s not a drug that makes people violent.
* Lots of people feel chatty on E. (These chats don't always make sense to people who aren't on an E).

Chances of getting hooked
It's possible to build up tolerance to E, which means people take more to get the same buzz. You may also develop a psychological dependence (the desire to keep on using even in spite of potential harm).

There’s some uncertainty about the long term side effects of Es. But evidence suggests it can cause damage to the brain causing long term problems – like depression, personality change and memory loss.

The law

Ecstasy is a Class A drug - illegal to have, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to seven years in jail. Supplying someone else, including your friends, can get you life and an unlimited fine.

Appearance and use

Pure Ecstasy is a white crystalline powder known to chemists as MDMA.

Ecstasy sold on the street is usually in tablet form although it's getting more common to see it sold as powder. Es come in all sorts of colours and some of them have pictures or logos stamped into them.

They’re usually swallowed although some people do smoke or snort them. People have been known to take another E when they haven't initially felt the expected ‘high’. The danger then is that both Es kick in and you’ve a double dose to deal with.