What do ecstasy users want to know? Study based on an internet mailing list.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.375Keywords:
MDMA, ecstasy, Internet, designer drugs, preventionAbstract
Objective: To obtain information on beliefs, attitudes and opinions that ecstasy (3,4-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetam ine or MDMA) users have about this drug. Material and methods: 15,117 e-mails sent to a Spanish Internet mailing list dealing with risk reduction in drug use were checked between 6 August and 7 December 2003. 681 questions related to ecstasy and health were classified and analyzed. Results and conclusions: e-mails containing questions about the different presentation of MDMA were the most commonly found (n=171; 25.11%). In addition, there was a large number and variety of questions related to other aspects such as its combination with prescription drugs (n=162; 23.9%), adverse effects (n=98; 14.39%), combination with illegal drugs (n=69; 10.13%) or toxicity (n=61; 8.96%). Some of the results that were obtained are consistent with those from previous studies. The repetition of specific questions, not previously described in scientific bibliography (dosage, neuroprotective drugs, effects of specific pills …), suggests that mailing lists like the one reviewed here can become an important source of information about drug use habits, as well as a complementary preventive tool.References
Encuesta domiciliaria sobre el consumo de drogas 2001. DGPNSD. Observatorio Español sobre Drogas. Madrid 2001.
Encuesta sobre drogas a la población escolar 2002. DGPNSD. Observatorio Español sobre Drogas. Madrid 2002.
Green AR, Mechan AO, Elliott JM, O’Shea E, Colado MI.The pharmacology and clinical pharmacology of 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”). Pharmacol Rev. 2003; 55:463-508.
Cole JC, Sumnall HR.Altered states: the clinical effects of Ecstasy. Pharmacol Ther. 2003; 98: 35-58.
Reneman L.Designer drugs: how dangerous are they? J Neural Transm Suppl. 2003:61-83.
Kish SJ How strong is the evidence that brain serotonin neurons are damaged in human users of ecstasy? Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002; 71: 845-55.
Falck RS, Carlson RG, Wang J, Siegal HA. Sources of information about MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymetha mphetamine): perceived accuracy, importance, and implications for prevention among young adult users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2004; 73.
Bogenschutz MP. Drug information libraries on the Internet J Psychoactive Drugs 2000; 32: 249-58.
Wax PM. Just a click away: recreational drug Web sites on the Internet. Pediatrics. 2002 Jun; 109.
Halpern JH Pope HG. Hallucinogens on the Internet: a vast new source of underground drug information. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158: 481-3.
Szalavitz M Web sites and misinformation about illicit drugs. N Engl J Med. 2001; 345: 1710.
Boyer EW, Shannon M, Hibberd PL. Web sites with misinformation about illicit drugs. N Engl J Med.2001; 345:469-71.
Weir E. Raves: a review of the culture, the drugs and the prevention of harm CMAJ. 2000;162:1843-8.
Hernandez-Borges AA, Pareras LG, Jimenez A. Comparative analysis of pediatric mailing lists on the Internet. Pediatrics. 1997 Aug; 100: 82-88.
McLauchlan GJ, Cadogan M, Oliver CW.Assessment of an electronic mailing list for orthopaedic and trauma surgery. J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1999 Feb; 44, 36-9.
Mursch K, Behnke-Mursch J. Internet-based interaction
among brain tumour patients. Analysis of a medical mailing list. Zentralbl Neurochir. 2003; 64:71-5.
Solowij N, Hall W, Lee N Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstacy’ users and their experiences with the drug, Br J Addict 1992;87:1161-72.
Gamella J. F. y Álvarez-Roldán, A. Drogas de síntesis en España. Patrones y tendencias de adquisición y consumo, Madrid, 1997. Ministerio del Interior, Publicaciones de la Delegación de Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas. Delegación del Gobierno
para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas.
de la Fuente de Hoz L, Rodríguez Arenas MA, Vicente Orta J, Sánchez Paya J, Barrio Anta G. Epidemiología del consumo de drogas de diseño en España. Med Clin (Barc) 1997; 108:54-61.
Vollenweider FX, Gamma A, Liechti M, Huber T.Psychological and cardiovascular effects and shortterm sequelae of MDMA (“ecstasy”) in MDMA-naive healthy volunteers. Neuropsychopharmacology 1998;
:241-51.
Liechti ME, Vollenweider FX.Acute psychological and physiological effects of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) after haloperidol pretreatment in healthy humans. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2000;10:289-95.
Curran HV, Travill RA. Mood and cognitive effects of +/-3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’): week-end ‘high’ followed by mid-week low. Addiction. 1997; 92:821-31.
McKenna DJ, Peroutka SJ. Neurochemistry and neurotoxicity of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamin e (MDMA, “ecstasy”). J Neurochem. 1990; 54:14-22.
Schifano F, Magni G.MDMA (“ecstasy”) abuse: psychopathological features and craving for chocolate: a case series.Biol Psychiatry 1994;36:763-7.
McCann UD, Ricaurte GA.Reinforcing subjective effects of (+/-) 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (“ecstasy”) may be separable from its neurotoxic actions: clinical evidence.J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1993;13: 214-7.
Sanchez V, Camarero J, Esteban B, Peter MJ, Green AR, Colado MI.The mechanisms involved in the long-lasting neuroprotective effect of fluoxetine against MDMA (‘ecst asy’)-induced degeneration of 5-HT nerve endings in rat brain. Br J Pharmacol. 2001;134: 46-57.
Aguirre N, Barrionuevo M, Ramirez MJ, Del Rio J, Lasheras B.Alpha-lipoic acid prevents 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA)-induced neurotoxicity. Neuroreport. 1999;10: 3675-80.
Shankaran M, Yamamoto BK, Gudelsky GA.Ascorbic acid prevents 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced hydroxyl radical formation and the behavioral and neurochemical consequences of the depletion of brain 5-HT. Synapse. 2001;40: 55-64.
Sprague JE, Huang X, Kanthasamy A, Nichols DE. Attenuation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetami ne (MDMA) induced neurotoxicity with the serotonin precursors tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan. Life Sci. 1994;15: 1193-8.
Pacifici R, Pichini S, Zuccaro P, Farre M, Segura M, Ortuno J, Di Carlo S, Bacosi A, Roset P, Segura J, De La Torre R. Paroxetine Inhibits Acute Effects of MDMA on the Immune System in Humans. J Pharmacol ExpTher. 2004 Jan 13.
Liechti ME, Vollenweider FX.The serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram reduces acute cardiovascular and vegetative effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymet hamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) in healthy volunteers.J Psychopharmacol. 2000;14: 269.
Memoria 2001. Sección de Drogas de Madrid. Instituto Nacional de Toxicología.Madrid, 2001.
McElrath K, McEvoy K. Negative experiences on Ecstasy: the role of drug, set and setting. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2002; 34:199-208.
Smilkstein MJ, Smolinske SC, Rumack BH. A case of MAO inhibitor/MDMA interaction: agony after ecstasy. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1987; 25:149-59.
Vuori E, Henry JA, Ojanpera I, Nieminen R, Savolainen T, Wahlsten P et al.Death following ingestion of MDMA (ecstasy) and moclobemide. Addiction. 2003; 98:365-8.
Antoniou T, Tseng AL. Interactions between recreational drugs and antiretroviral agents. Ann Pharmacother. 2002; 36:1598-613.
