Party
Drugs
Paul
Dillon
Every
weekend, right across Australia thousands of young
people attend nightclubs, dance parties and a range
of other entertainment venues. For some of them
this also means taking `party drugs'─a growing
range of substances that are used to `enhance' the
party environment.
Party
drug users take these substances to make the music
sound different, the lights appear brighter and
the beat more powerful. For many of them, the stimulant
party drugs also enable them to dance for much longer
periods, giving them more energy and the ability
to stay awake.
Unfortunately,
these drugs also have the potential to cause harm.
These harms range from confusion through to psychosis,
and in extreme cases death. For most parents these
drugs are completely new. Even parents who experimented
with drugs during their adolescence know little
about ecstasy, ketamine and GHB.
So
what are these party drugs and how are they currently
used by young people?
Ecstasy
Ecstasy
is a street term for a number of substances that
are related to MDMA or methylendioxymetham-phetamine.
The drug can contain a wide variety of amphetamine-related
substances including MDEA, MDA or in the worst-case
scenario, PMA, the substance linked to a number
of ecstasy deaths in Adelaide. Ecstasy is made by
backyard chemists and as a consequence the quality
of the drug varies greatly.
Ecstasy
usually comes in tablet form. MDMA effects begin
30-60 minutes after taking the drug. Users say that
they feel relaxed but energetic, happy, calm, exhilarated,
warm and loving. Some people also experience unsteadiness,
nausea and vomiting. It is particularly dangerous
for anyone suffering from high blood pressure or
a heart condition to take ecstasy.
Much
of Australia's ecstasy is believed to originate
from Europe, particularly Holland. An `active' dose
of ecstasy is 120 milligrams of MDMA. Since 1995
police seizures have rarely identified tablets that
contained even 100 milligrams of the drug.
The
toxicity of MDMA is fairly low, however this is
not what usually gets ecstasy users into trouble.
The majority of ecstasy-related deaths have not
been caused by `poisoning' by the drug but by where
and when people use it, i.e. using it in a hot,
crowded environment which may result in death by
overheating or dehydration.
MDMA
alters serotonin levels. Serotonin is believed to
affect a number of different functions including
mood, memory, aggression, appetite, sexual function
and sleep. Recent studies have shown that if MDMA
is given to animals, a depletion in the number of
different components of the serotonin nerve ending
will result. This was described as `pruning' the
neuron and it is believed that this is a long-term
effect.
MDMA
is therefore regarded as a `neurotoxin'. This means
that it damages brain cells that produce serotonin.
There is debate, however, about what this `damage'
actually means. Some believe that a change in the
brain does not necessarily have to be bad, while
others argue that the change will result in long-term
problems such as depression and anxiety.
Whatever
the change to the brain actually means, there is
one thing that all the experts agree on─it
does occur. Whether it will have any serious repercussions
on users is not known.
As
has already been mentioned, some ecstasy deaths
in Australia have been caused by PMA. Paramethoxyampheta-mine
is an amphetamine-type drug with both stimulant
and hallucinogenic properties. It has no medical
use. Its effects are similar to those of MDA, although
PMA is much more potent and far more toxic.
The
toxicity of PMA is related to excessive central
nervous system stimulation. Users may experience
hallucinations, delirium, restlessness, agitation,
muscle contractions, thrashing around, rigidity,
sweating, high fever, seizures, coma and death.
It has been estimated that PMA's effects may be
seen by taking approximately 50 mg. An ecstasy tablet
can weigh anything from 150-200 mg and can contain
up to 50% of active material, so it would not take
many pills to cause a problem.
PMA
has been linked to a number of Australian deaths
over the years. Six people died in South Australia
between September 1995 and January 1996 after taking
PMA, either alone or combined with MDMA. All indications
are that the users believed they were taking MDMA
alone and did not realise that PMA was present in
the tablet they used.
PMA
deaths highlight one of the major risks when using
ecstasy─the user simply never knows exactly
what it is that they are taking.
Many
ecstasy tablets currently on the street contain
methamphetamine. Methamphetamine's chemical structure
is similar to that of amphetamine (`speed'), but
it has more pronounced effects on the central nervous
system. Like amphetamine, it causes increased activity,
decreased appetite and a general sense of well-being.
There
are a few accepted medical reasons for its use,
such as narcolepsy (difficulty staying awake), attention
deficit disorder and obesity. However, these medical
uses are limited.
How
will this affect a person who is taking the drug
believing it to be ecstasy or MDMA? Essentially
users will find that they will not get the `ecstasy
rush' they are seeking and will instead find themselves
staying awake for a long time. Methamphetamine can
produce a high that lasts from anywhere between
8-24 hours and can put great strain on the body
due to its long-lasting effects.
Methamphetamine
can cause a variety of cardiovascular problems.
This is an extremely powerful stimulant and users
need to be particularly vigilant about taking breaks
when dancing and monitoring their pulse rate.
The
above article is the first of three on Party Drugs.
Part 2 will continue in the next issue of heroInsight.
Paul
Dillon, Media Liaison/Information Manager
National
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre
University
of New South Wales, Sydney
Phone:
02 9398 9333; Fax: 02 9399 7143
