The Dangers of MDMA
by Victoria Caroccia
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has created major waves within the entertainment industry. With hundreds of new artists permeating the airwaves, multimillion dollar concerts selling out venues, and a new era of Woodstock-esque followers, the genre of EDM has revolutionized not only music, but also a whole generation of listeners. Unfortunately, EDM has been creating a negative buzz in the media as well.
Many artists are being criticized for promoting drug use in their music and at their concerts. Earlier this month, the famed Electric Zoo (E-Zoo) music festival cancelled its third day after the deaths of two young people. Aside from the deaths at E-Zoo, a number of other fatalities have been making headlines throughout the country.
Drugs have always played a major role in club culture and reports of overdoses are nothing new. However, a popular club drug called MDMA, or “Molly,” is striking fear into the hearts of parents and authority figures nationwide. “It has become part of EDM culture and it’s really stupid,” Sophia Oliviera, a senior Biology major, exclaimed, “If you can’t enjoy music you like without MDMA, you’re a scrub.”
MDMA is a “club drug” that can induce euphoria, intimacy, diminished anxiety, and mild hallucinations. Developed by a German pharmaceutical company, the substance was originally prescribed by psychiatrists to help patients speak more openly during sessions. In the 1980’s, MDMA made it’s way to the nightclub scene and became known as Molly.
MDMA activates three key hormones: serotonin, a contributor to well being and happiness, dopamine, which induces reward-motivated behavior, (such as flirting with a girl and taking her home at the end of the night) and norepinephrine, a “fight-or-flight” hormone released when you’re startled.
Once it hits the bloodstream, MDMA directly affects these hormone receptors, causing the user to “roll.” While rolling, one feels happy as a result of the serotonin, confident due to the dopamine, and excited from the norepinephrine. This combination can lead to excessive dancing, flirtation, and overall shenanigans. Other symptoms include pupil dilation, Bruxism (grinding and/or clenching of teeth), insomnia, loss of appetite, lack of urination, and unfortunately for some males, erectile dysfunction.
Many people feel that Molly isn’t life threatening, so long as it’s used responsibly. “Anything in excess is harmful to you,” said Jocelyn Cruz, a senior Music major, “If I ate ice cream every day of my life in un-recommended dosages, I would end up with a morbidly obese plethora of health problems. Think about that when you hear of all this anti-drug propaganda.” Cruz claims that she’s never had a bad experience on Molly, but reports of unfortunate, irresponsible young adults are drawing negative attention.
The effects of MDMA on the human body are complex and subjective for each person. Because of MDMA’s ability to mask normal thirst and exhaustion responses, these effects may be amplified in people who become dehydrated, particularly if the user is dancing or engaging in other physically demanding activities for long periods of time. While these symptoms aren’t necessarily life threatening, pre-existing medical conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease can be a lethal combination.
MDMA decreases the body’s ability to regulate heat by causing constriction of blood vessels near the top of the skin. Your heart rate and blood temperature increase, causing you to sweat. In addition, it can increase heat production by muscles and the brain. Other possible causes of death include hyponatremia, low blood sodium level as a result of drinking too much water, and hyperthermia, raising the core temperature of the body to 107 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, causing organs to shut down.
Despite the health threats that this drug poses, MDMA has been very prevalent in pop culture. Both Miley Cyrus and Madonna have received backlash for commenting on Molly usage in their music. Rick Ross was recently dropped from a Reebok endorsement after rapping about Molly and spiking a woman’s drink with the drug.
In the face of bad press and countless deaths, MDMA and EDM still go hand-in-hand, with celebrities and club-goers continuing to “pop” Molly. It’s hard to say whether or not pop culture figures are influencing young people to try the drug, but it certainly isn’t stopping them from doing so.
In a recent New York Times article, author Irina Aleksander interviewed a group of young professionals who have taken MDMA. Most of them never attended a rave, nor have they experimented with any kind of drugs, but were curiously drawn to Molly.
“I’ve always been somewhat terrified of drugs,” said a 26-year-old woman who worked in film. “But I’d been curious about Molly, which is sold as this pure, fun-loving drug. This is probably completely naïve, but I felt I wasn’t putting as many scary chemicals into my body.”
Whether we like it or not, drugs are always going to be around. While it is important to know the facts and medical threats, no amount of scare tactics or scientific information is going to deter our generation from experimenting with them. If you decide to participate in this increasingly popular, yet potentially dangerous fad, take the necessary precautions.
A night of screaming and dancing at a concert can take a toll on your body, especially if you have Molly in your system. Remember to keep hydrated by drinking enough water, but no more than two bottles throughout the night. If you feel like you’re getting overheated, just step outside for some air. It doesn’t matter if the DJ is playing your favorite song, you can dance to it in your room at home. It’s certainly not worth cooking your organs over.
