MDMA/Ecstasy Use Among Young People in Ohio: Perceived Risk and Barriers to Intervention

Abstract

In the past several years, the use of MDMA (Ecstasy) has increased substantially in the United States and in many countries around the world. Although this increase has been associated with the dance club and rave scenes, Ecstasy use has expanded into new settings. At the same time, the diversity of people using the drug has also grown. Given the increasing, although unclear, evidence that MDMA has the potential to cause neurotoxicity and various psychological problems under certain conditions among humans, understanding how active users perceive the risks associated with Ecstasy use can help to inform prevention and intervention approaches. Based on audiotaped focus groups and individual interviews conducted with 30 Ecstasy users in Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, this article explores these and other issues. Results demonstrate that beyond the risk of obtaining something potentially deadly instead of MDMA, most users do not associate risks of neurotoxicity or psychological problems with Ecstasy use. Active users look to harm-reduction approaches for answers to using Ecstasy safely; prevention messages like, "just say no to drugs" are largely ignored. Because Ecstasy is commonly used among small groups of friends, peer leader or other social network intervention approaches may be promising.

Do adolescent ecstasy users have different attitudes towards drugs when compared to marijuana users?

“…Because most ecstasy users are or will become polydrug users in young adulthood (Carlson et al, 2004;Martins et al, 2005;Martins et al, 2007), our findings can be useful to prevention programs that target adolescent polydrug use and not only ecstasy use. Prevention programs may need to consider different strategies in changing attitudes towards drug use once marijuana use has begun.…”

“…For example, one school drug-prevention program based on three theoretical models (health belief model- Rosenstock et al, 1988, social learning model-Bandura, 1985, and the self-efficacy theory-Bandura, 1977) was able to decrease positive attitudes towards marijuana use and decrease marijuana use among girls who had initiated tobacco or marijuana use (Longshore et al, 2007). Researchers have suggested that prevention programs that target a decrease in ecstasy use should focus on the more common acute and sub-acute side-effects of ecstasy use in order to decrease approval of ecstasy use (Baggott, 2002;Carlson et al, 2004).…”

“…In one study, nearly half (43%) of the young adults and adolescents who used MDMA more than four times met diagnostic criteria for dependence, as evidenced by continued use despite knowledge of physical or psychological harm, withdrawal effects, and tolerance (or diminished response); and 34 percent met the criteria for drug abuse (Cottler et al, 2001). While many ecstasy users perceive some health risk related to their ecstasy use (Gamma et al, 2005;White et al, 2006), there are others who do not perceive any risk or harm related to their ecstasy use (Carlson et al, 2004). A more controversial issue is whether there are harms associated with marijuana use (Hall 2001).…”

Maximising the highs and minimising the lows: Harm reduction guidance within ecstasy distribution networks

“…Study results have shown that peers influence the nature of Ecstasy use within social networks (Beck & Rosenbaum, 1994;Carlson et al, 2004;Gourley, 2004;Hansen et al, 2001;Schensul et al, 2005). Research findings also reveal that friends are one of the most common and important sources of information about Ecstasy's effects Gamma et al, 2005;Murphy et al, 2006).…”

From “herbal highs” to the “heroin of cannabis”: Exploring the evolving discourse on synthetic cannabinoid use in a Norwegian Internet drug forum

“…The evolving, possibly more negative, representations of a specific drug offer large incentives for the willingness to experiment with it. Therefore, one of the most important influences on drug use may be "folk" perceptions of the acceptability of the drug (Carlson, Falck, McCaughan, & Siegal, 2004).…”